Havertz-Firmino Debate Highlights How Arsenal’s No. 9 Role Is Evolving

The tactical debate concluded with Carragher asking: “So why can’t Havertz be that kind of player?” Neville delivered a blunt final assessment, stating: “I don’t think Havertz is as good as Firmino in any way, shape, or form.”

Firmino cemented his legacy by recording 111 goals and 76 assists across 362 matches during his eight years at Anfield. While operating primarily as a forward who dropped deep to connect play, he helped secure several major honours, including the Premier League and Champions League. Meanwhile, Havertz has registered 38 goals and 18 assists in 114 appearances for Arsenal, spearheading a system supported by Christos Tzolis, Bukayo Saka and Martin Odegaard.

Two Forwards, One Reference Point

The comparison between Kai Havertz and Roberto Firmino goes beyond raw numbers. It cuts to the heart of how elite clubs in the Premier League structure their attacks and choose their central reference point.

Firmino’s return of 111 goals and 76 assists over 362 games for Liverpool underlined his status as a fulcrum rather than a conventional penalty-box striker. His frequent movements away from the last line opened space for wide forwards, while his pressing from the front helped shape one of the league’s most aggressive defensive structures out of possession.

Havertz, by contrast, is being asked to deliver end product while also facilitating runners such as Christos Tzolis, Bukayo Saka and Martin Odegaard. His 38 goals and 18 assists in 114 Arsenal appearances show a player balancing finishing duties with combination play in tight central areas.

The False Nine Blueprint and Its Demands

Firmino became one of the modern reference points for the “false nine” role: a nominal striker who vacates traditional positions to overload midfield and connect phases of play. That function places heavy demands on:

• pressing intelligence and timing
• link-up quality in congested central zones
• unselfish movement to release wide forwards
• consistent physical output over long domestic and European campaigns

Havertz shares some of those traits. He is comfortable dropping off the front line, rotating with midfielders and attacking the box late rather than remaining fixed among centre-backs. The question posed in the studio – whether he can be “that kind of player” – is essentially about whether he can reach Firmino’s standard as a complete reference point rather than simply match his goal tally.

Arsenal’s Tactical Structure Around Havertz

Arsenal’s use of Havertz reflects a broader shift in how leading clubs in England and Europe deploy their central forwards. Rather than a pure finisher, the German international is part of a multi-pronged attacking structure built around fluid rotations.

With Christos Tzolis, Saka and Odegaard working off him, Arsenal frequently create:

• wide overloads that rely on Havertz pulling markers away from the flanks
• central combinations where he links midfield to attack with one-touch passing
• late runs into the penalty area that complement, rather than duplicate, the movements of the wingers

This model has implications for how Arsenal compete across domestic and European competitions. A forward who can knit together pressing, build-up and penalty-box presence can help sustain performance across league and cup schedules, but it also concentrates significant tactical responsibility on a single player.

Legacy Versus Projection

The contrast between Firmino’s established record and Havertz’s current numbers reflects the different stages of their careers as well as their environments. Firmino’s years at Anfield were defined by sustained involvement in title races and deep European runs, in competitions organized under UEFA’s regulatory framework, where every marginal gain in tactical cohesion mattered.

Havertz, still amassing appearances and influence at Arsenal, is being assessed against a forward whose contribution is already fully documented. The studio verdict that Havertz is “not as good as Firmino in any way, shape, or form” uses Firmino’s complete body of work as a benchmark rather than a like-for-like appraisal of style.

What is clear is that both players sit within the same broader evolution of the centre-forward role. Firmino’s time at Liverpool showed how a selfless, technically secure forward can underpin a system. Havertz’s numbers in north London, and the responsibilities he carries within Arsenal’s structure, show that the argument over what a modern No. 9 should be – and who best embodies that ideal – remains very much alive.