On September 4, 2020, the Chelsea fanbase was buzzing with excitement due to the arrival of a young German wunderkind, who many thought had the potential to become a superstar. But almost three seasons and two managers later, the west Londoners are still seeking the perfect formula to help Kai Havertz explode his undoubted talent.
There have been a few improvements from Chelsea's recent upturn in March, one being the form of Havertz. On inspection, he seems to be more involved in the team's attacking phases, making vital contributions, and playing a pivotal role in the Blues' win over Borussia Dortmund to advance to the Champions League quarter-finals.
So, we go back to the question that fans seldom and cautiously ask - has Chelsea found the perfect position for Kai Havertz?
To understand where Havertz would be most effective, we must revisit his breakout seasons at Bayer Leverkusen.
Under the former Leverkusen manager Peter Bosz, Havertz was commonly positioned as an attacking midfielder in a 4-2-3-1 system. Although that might lead one to think that the German forward was licensed to roam into different pockets of space, there was a distinct area of the field he preferred to play.
When analyzing his heat map for the 2018/19 and 2019/20 seasons - when he recorded 38 goal contributions in 64 matches in the Bundesliga - he primarily operated in channels on the right half of the field.
(Kai Havertz heat map in the Bundesliga for Bayern Leverkusen)
(Data from Sofascore)
And that was evident in a few of his goals and assists during those seasons.
Against Hertha BSC, Havertz collects a pass from his teammate in the right half-space after dropping between the midfield and defensive lines.
(Screenshots from Bundesliga's official Youtube channel)
With his first touch, Havertz lays the ball off to the striker, who has pinned the opposition center-back.
The German receives a one-touch return pass which he fires into the bottom right corner with his weaker right foot.
The no.29 is also adept at setting up his teammates when operating in the same area of the field - as shown by his assists against RB Leipzig and Frankfurt during the 2019/20 campaign.
During his Chelsea career, different managers have deployed Havertz in various roles and later molded to a false 9 by the former boss, Thomas Tuchel. But it is hard to say that the Aachen-born attacker ever flourished in this role.
And when Graham Potter took over, Havertz was preferred once again to lead the line over Armando Broja (who suffered from a devastating knee injury in December 2022) and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang.
However, until the defeat against Tottenham Hotspur, Havertz was used as a 'proper no.9' in a 4-2-3-1 shape - a position unsuitable to the German's playstyle.
But come the home fixture to Leeds United, Graham Potter began the evolution of the role of Kai Havertz.
Potter started to use a narrow and fluid front three that were comfortable with interchanging positions during the match - thereby allowing Havertz to juggle the duties of a striker and creator.
Against Leeds, Havertz started through the middle, as shown by his position during the opening minutes against Leeds.
(Screenshots from Chelsea's official match footage from chelseafc.com)
But during the ninety, rotations between the attackers were evident. Although infrequent, they were more than usual compared to the previous matches.
The combinations were in full flow against Borussia Dortmund a few days later when it mattered most. And one of the players that flourished was Kai Havertz.
It only took the German two minutes to supply a goal-scoring opportunity, although it was narrowly deemed offside.
One of the upsides for Havertz in the flexible front three is that it allows him to rotate positions and find space by combining with his teammates seamlessly.
Take this sequence in the eighth minute of the match.
More importantly, Potter seems to have noticed that during the best spells of the German's career, he played in the right zone of the field. And during this game, there was an emphasis on the twenty-three-year-old to create from this region.
Like this move mid-way through the first half.
And that trend was visible in the following matches where Havertz essentially played from the right.
It is clear that Havertz prospers when played in this position, but only time will tell if he can consistently deliver in a Chelsea shirt. And that will be the answer to the golden question - has Chelsea finally found the perfect position for Kai Havertz?
However, that time is running out due to the board's aggressive transfer policy - uncompromising with their ambition to bolster the squad with the world's best young talent. So, the German will have to make sure he capitalizes on the remainder of the season to impress the gaffer and top-level management team.
Nevertheless, in the long term, it is unlikely that Graham Potter will continue without a more traditional striker.
With Christopher Nkunku on his way to Stamford Bridge in the summer and a transfer for Joao Felix likely after an impressive stint in blue, the no.10 spot will be under immense competition next season.
Will Chelsea stick or twist with Kai Havertz? The coming months will tell.
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