Martin Keown Says Arsenal Are Missing ‘Important’ Star After Wolves Draw

Martin Keown explains why Kai Havertz absence is hurting Arsenal composure, belief, and ability to close out games in the title run-in.

Arsenal legend Martin Keown has identified Kai Havertz absence as a decisive factor in the damaging 2–2 draw against Wolves, warning that it is now undermining belief, control, and match management in the Premier League title race.

Arsenal threw away a two-goal lead at Molineux against a Wolves side rooted to the bottom of the table. What should have been a routine victory instead became another psychological blow in a season increasingly defined by pressure moments rather than performance levels.

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For Keown, the issue was not just tactical — it was about missing personality, presence, and a match-winner when control starts to slip.

Arsenal dominated the early stages of the game. Bukayo Saka’s early header gave them the perfect platform, and Piero Hincapié’s second-half goal appeared to settle the contest.

At 2–0, the match was in Arsenal’s control.

Then momentum shifted.

Hugo Bueno’s strike gave Wolves belief, and Arsenal failed to reset the tempo. Composure faded, game management disappeared, and chaos replaced structure. The late equaliser was not just a defensive error — it was the product of lost control.

For Keown, this pattern is becoming familiar.

“I can’t say I didn’t see it coming because it didn’t look comfortable for Arsenal,” he told Premier League Production. “It felt like they were hoping to win rather than going and taking it.”

Why Kai Havertz Matters

Keown’s central point was clear: Arsenal are missing Kai Havertz more than they realise.

The German forward has been restricted by injury and has barely featured this season, but Keown believes his influence goes far beyond minutes and goals.

“I would like to see Kai Havertz back,” Keown said. “He’s becoming all too important. You need that match-winner. Someone who gives everyone belief and puts the game out of sight.”

This is where the Kai Havertz absence becomes critical.

Havertz brings presence in big moments.
He brings calm under pressure.
He brings authority in chaotic phases.

When games become tense, those qualities matter more than systems.

Keown stressed that title races are not defined by dominance — they are defined by control of moments.

Arsenal controlled possession.
They controlled territory.
They controlled phases of the match.

But they did not control emotion.

Without Havertz, Arsenal lack a player who can slow games down, settle nerves, and turn dominance into finality.

That was evident at Molineux.

Mikel Arteta’s frustration after the game reflected more than a dropped result. It reflected a failure to manage the match psychologically.

Arsenal’s structure is elite.
Their tactics are elite.
Their quality is elite.

But pressure phases are exposing fragility.

Kai Havertz Arsenal absence is not about a missing striker — it is about a missing stabiliser.

Arsenal remain in control of the title race numerically.

But momentum has shifted psychologically.

Dropped points against the league’s weakest side do more than damage the table — they damage belief. They change narratives. They increase pressure.

With Manchester City closing in and major fixtures ahead, Arsenal are entering the phase where mentality matters more than metrics.

ArsenalTalks Analysis

This draw was not about Wolves.

It was not about tactics.

Dominance was not the issue.

It was about missing control players.

Martin Keown’s message is simple: every title-winning team has figures who calm chaos. Kai Havertz is one of those figures.

Without him, Arsenal look more anxious, more rushed, and more vulnerable when pressure rises.

If Arsenal are to finish the job this season, they need more than quality — they need composure, authority, and belief in decisive moments.

And right now, Keown believes the Kai Havertz absence is leaving a leadership and mentality gap that is starting to show.

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