Arteta slams Havertz criticism and warns against ‘terrible consequences’ | OneFootball

Mikel Arteta has hit out at the social media criticism Kai Havertz received following Arsenal’s FA Cup exit to Manchester United.

The German missed the Gunners’ second penalty in the shootout and had opportunities to score from open play throughout the 120 minutes.

Arteta lept to the defence of Havertz, and issued a stark warning to the game to take online abuse seriously or face ‘terrible consequences’.

“It’s incredible, honestly,” he said. “We really have to do something about it, because accepting that and hiding this has terrible consequences. It’s something we have to eradicate from the game because it’s so cynical and dependent on the result of an action. There is no other industry like this.

“When we played Ipswich on December 27, we won 1-0 and Kai Havertz scored. The whole stadium after that is singing the ‘Waka, Waka’. That was 20 days ago. Where is the perspective? We are all responsible.

“You guys [the media] are responsible, everybody is responsible for the narrative and how we talk. We cannot look somewhere else. That’s a really serious matter. It affects me. It affects him and everybody that is in the industry.

“We can accept it and say that’s our job, but there are certain limits and the line has to be drawn. We put a lot of attention on technology and what is next in football. What is next in football is that this should be prohibited. It cannot happen. That’s it.”

The 25-year-old has had to work hard to win over the Arsenal faithful following his switch from Premier League rivals Chelsea, and goals at the back end of 2024 in wins against Ipswich, Crystal Palace, Monaco and West Ham helped prove his worth.

With teammate Gabriel Jesus likely to be out for a prolonged period with a knee injury, the onus will be on Havertz to score goals in his absence.

Arteta also praised his club for the support they’ve given players who have been on the receiving end of criticism and called on fans to show support for their players, starting with the north London derby against Tottenham Hotspur.

“It’s not about individuals,” he added. “I think there is a big lesson here to learn from us – it’s how we have conducted, reacted and supported players when they have been through a difficult time. And you guys just notice sometimes when it is just a professional issue, but there are a lot of personal issues as well going on in the camp.

“The club and the people here have been exceptional because every time there has been an issue, everybody has been supporting him. And the outcome is always clear – the more support you have, the better it is.

“With Kai, in particular, we experienced how it was in the beginning and when everybody started to support him and they were talking about him, about being one of the best No.9s in Europe. That’s it.

“The best medicines are the people who really love the club and love our players, supporting them. That’s what I would like to see.”