Kai Havertz helped Chelsea to beat Everton 2-0 at Stamford Bridge on Monday and was unlucky not to have a goal to his name after starring in the false nine position.- By Madellene Markit.
He is finally making an impact at Chelsea and helping the pursuit of Champions League qualification.
Havertz has endured a disappointing first season following his £70 million ($96 million) move from Bayer Leverkusen last year.
The Germany forward was given a rare start by Chelsea boss Thomas Tuchel and he responded by playing the key role in both goals at Stamford Bridge.
Havertz’s shot was deflected into the Everton net for a Ben Godfrey own goal in the first half.
The 21-year-old has not scored in the league since October, but Tuchel entrusted him with an important role as Chelsea’s false nine and Havertz’s intelligent movement put him in position to earn the second-half penalty that Jorginho converted.
“I’m very happy with his performance, no doubt about his quality, his talent and also his character,” Tuchel said.
“He needs to adapt to the Premier League, he needs to be at a club where you play to win every game, where the highest standards are normal. That’s a normal process for him to adapt to this mentality.”
It was a clever and confident performance from the German and Carlo Ancelotti’s side struggled to get a handle on him.
In a tantalising battle for a place inside the top four, Everton arrived with a swagger having narrowed the gap to just a point, while possessing a game in hand, after three successive wins.
Thomas Tuchel has overseen a remarkable resurgence at Stamford Bridge, avoiding defeat in 10 games, conceding just twice and guiding the Blues back into that coveted fourth spot.
