Kai Havertz scored in Wednesday’s 6-0 Champions League win over RC Lens (Picture: Getty)
Kai Havertz has hailed four of his Arsenal teammates but says talk over the Premier League title race is ‘too early to say’.
The Gunners went close to landing their first top-flight title since 2004 last term, topping the table for 248 days, but eventually missed out to Manchester City.
Mikel Arteta’s side look among the main contenders again this time around and are top of the league after the opening 13 games of the 2023-24 campaign.
But City are just one point behind them in second while Liverpool and Aston Villa – who sit third and fourth – are two points off Arsenal with no side running away with it just yet.
Quizzed for his thoughts on the Premier League title race, Havertz told Football Daily: ‘It’s really too early to say something about this.
‘Anyone can beat anyone. We really don’t know what’s happening, maybe we will in a couple of months.
‘Right now we are focusing on ourselves and trying to win as many games as possible.’
Arsenal will need their key players to keep performing if they are to win the league and Havertz has heaped praise on four stars in the Gunners’ squad.
Speaking about Declan Rice, who moved to north London this summer in a £105m deal from West Ham, Havertz added: ‘I knew him before [I joined Arsenal in June].
‘We were messaging before we came. He’s a great person, a really good guy and on the pitch as well he is showing what he can do and help the team. He is a very important player for us at the moment.’
Kai Havertz has spoken highly of Arsenal duo Bukayo Saka and Declan Rice (Picture: Getty)
Havertz also lauded winger Bukayo Saka, defender William Saliba and forward Gabriel Jesus.
‘I’m so impressed with [Saka],’ Havertz said. ‘I knew he was a top, top player. He has both his feet on the ground.
‘He has so many years in front of him. When you come out of the academy, it is so nice for the fans. I hope he is going to keep his standards very high.
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‘[Saliba is the] same as the other two guys. As a defender, he is so, so good. He makes everything so easy and so calm. He is still so young. He’s going to have a big career in front of him.’
Asked about Jesus, Havertz added: ‘He’s the best [striker I have played with]. I see it in every training session. It’s an honour to play with him. You see his quality on the pitch, he is amazing, he is one of those players who can turn a game around by himself.
‘He scores a lot of goals. He is not only a goalscorer, he can link up so well and help with the build-up play. He is so good for the team and helps everyone on the pitch.’
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