'Show some respect' - Arsenal star slammed over what he did after scoring
Arsenal star Kai Havertz has been criticised for his celebration against former club Chelsea.
Former Chelsea star John Obi Mikel has criticised Arsenal star Kai Havertz over his celebration against Chelsea last weekend. Havertz spent more than three years at Stamford Bridge, notably scoring the winning goal in the Champions League final in 2021.
After a relatively successful spell with the Blues, he joined Arsenal on a £65million deal in 2023 in a move that seemed to suit both parties, particularly with the money involved. Havertz can be polarising as a striker, given some of his best work comes in hold-up and systematic play, with the German not an out-and-out scorer.
But Mikel Arteta is enamoured by the striker, and it’s clear Havertz is a good fit for the way Arsenal play, providing a nice balance with a quick winger either side of him. In his most recent outing, the 25-year-old scored a key goal as Arsenal drew 1-1 against Chelsea, and instead of the usual hands in the air and standing still celebration players typically do against former clubs, Havertz placed his finger on his lips and produced a Jose Mourinho-esc shush signal.
That celebration has drawn criticism from former Blues midfielder Mikel, who said on his Obi One podcast: “Looking back at it, if he wakes up this morning, I think it’s just the adrenaline and passion of the game that made him do that, but I still think it’s a bit disrespectful to a club that you’ve played for and won trophies for.
“When I played for Chelsea, I wasn’t the most liked player. Some of the fans didn’t appreciate me as much as they should. But that didn’t stop me from loving the club and doing my job. If you leave the football club and come back, and score, I think you should still show some respect. You can still celebrate, but not to shush the fans. I don’t know the reason why that happened, but for me it was a little bit disrespectful.”