Arsenal forward/midfielder Kai Havertz was certainly a site for sore eyes today. The German came off the bench, in the 69′ of Arsenal’s 4-1 win over Portsmouth in the FA Cup third round on Sunday, marking his first appearance since the opening day win at Manchester United.
Like the man he replaced, Gabriel Jesus, Havertz has missed most of the season thus far due to knee injury recovery.
Kai Havertz is back ❤️ pic.twitter.com/TYrahDxuDC
— George (@George_Zur) January 11, 2026
EFL Cup Semifinal Leg 1 of 2
Arsenal at Chelsea FC
Kickoff: Wedneday Jan 14, 8pm, Stamford Bridge, London, UK
Latest Injury Updates: Chelsea Arsenal
❤️🤍 Arteta: “I was just watching Kai Havertz move and his awareness, the way he needs to move, when he needs to move, in relation to what he moves”.
“We miss him big time. He’s back with us and now we need to maintain his fitness because he’s a very important player for us”. pic.twitter.com/mltk37BMUR
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) January 11, 2026
In getting some substitute minutes at the center forward position, this was the perfect time to ease him back in. Portsmouth are the penultimate side in the 22 team Championship division, so they are in real danger of falling down to League One, the third tier of the FA pyramid.
So this was a perfect time for Havertz to shake the rust off.
Up next for Arsenal is a Wednesday night trip to Chelsea, the club from which they signed Havertz, so what fortuitous timing this is.
Kai Havertz will always be a legend at Stamford Bridge, due to his having scored the game winning goal for the Blues in the 2021 UEFA Champions League title match against Manchester City.
Wednesday’s London derby is the first leg of the League Cup semifinal tie, and it should mark a chance for Havertz to get more minutes.
If he gets a first team assignment in midweek that would be quite remarkable, given that he hasn’t started a match since the 2024-25 season.
Paul M. Banks is the Founding Editor of The Sports Bank. He’s also the author of “Transatlantic Passage: How the English Premier League Redefined Soccer in America,” and “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry.”
He currently contributes to USA Today’s NFL Wires Network, RG.org and Ratings.org. His past bylines include the New York Daily News, Sports Illustrated and the Chicago Tribune. His work has been featured in numerous outlets, including the Wall Street Journal, Forbes and the Washington Post.