MIKEL ARTETA has bizarrely compared Kai Havertz’s struggles to how he met his wife.

The manager spoke to Sky Sports after Arsenal’s dramatic 3-1 win over Manchester United.

Mikel Arteta believes it will take time for Kai Havertz to perform at his best

Havertz missed a huge chance to score his first Arsenal goal

Fans have been left underwhelmed by his performances

Martin Odegaard, Declan Rice and Gabriel Jesus got on the scoresheet for the Gunners as Havertz missed a glorious chance to ind the back of the net when the game was goalless.

With just ten yards to go, the ball fell nicely for the German inside the box, but he only just managed to make contact before kicking the air.

Fans were incensed, with some calling him “useless” and others worrying that if he keeps playing him, he will eventually harm Arteta’s name.

Havertz, who cost £65 million to acquire from Chelsea in the summer, has yet to provide a goal or an assist to his new team.

But Arteta insists that Havertz needs time to adjust to life at Arsenal and is not alarmed by his disappointing performances.

The boss explained his patience with a strange analogy about how he begun dating his wife Lorena Bernal.

Arteta said: “I said to him yesterday, things are hard in the beginning.

“When I met my wife, in the beginning it was hard to conquer her and I had to try and keep messaging.

“In the end, she said yes, she wanted to be together and it was beautiful.

“If it is a yes on the first day, it is not that great.

“I think the crowd was really good with him today.”

Asked how he managed to win over his wife, Arteta responded: “Being persistent and determined.”

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Havertz didn’t just fluff his opportunity to score, he also thought he had won his side a penalty, only for VAR to overturn the decision.

He also got subbed off for Fabio Vieira pre-comeback after 77 minutes.

Mikel Arteta is married to Lorena Bernal and they have three children