Pints in Singapore, Peace in the Premier League: Burn and Havertz Call Time on Their Feud
File this under very Premier League: years of shoulder barges, a stray elbow, a few stitches and a heap of needle, all soothed by a couple of cold ones in Singapore. Dan Burn and Kai Havertz, once serial sparring partners, have finally parked the aggro — and fair play, it suits them both.
From needle to a natter
Speaking to FourFourTwo, Burn explained that he bumped into Havertz during pre-season in Singapore, shared a drink with the Arsenal forward and found him, in his words, a genuinely decent bloke. The pair essentially agreed the edge you see on a Saturday is just part of the job, and that the line can be drawn once the boots come off. It’s the sort of grown-up truce you love to see between two pros who’ve been through the wars.
The flashpoints that lit the rivalry
This feud had bite. Back in Burn’s first months at Newcastle, Havertz nipped across him to score a winner and, in an earlier clash, the German’s flailing arm left the big man needing stitches. Burn, a 201cm throwback defender who famously lost part of a finger as a teenager and simply cracked on, later got his own back as Newcastle turned over Chelsea at St James’ Park.
Banter never sleeps
Even after the peace talks, the banter kept bubbling. In an August club video guessing past Champions League winners, Burn cheekily tipped his cap to the 2021 final and to Havertz’s decisive goal for Chelsea. Cue laughter off camera and a few raised eyebrows online. Truth is, the olive branch had already been offered — it was just Burn being Burn.
Head-to-head: the tale of the tape
Since their first meeting on 20 April 2021 (Burn at Brighton, Havertz at Chelsea), the pair have faced off 10 times. Burn’s sides (Brighton and Newcastle) have chalked up five wins, with two draws and three defeats across 517 minutes of direct battle — that’s a tidy 1.70 points per game from Burn’s perspective. Advantage Burn: five wins in 10 against a player who’s worn Chelsea and Arsenal colours is no small feat. All figures per Transfermarkt, correct as of 03/12/2025.
Silverware stakes and statement results
Newcastle’s tilt at ending a 70-year major trophy drought in the 2024/25 League Cup saw Havertz’s Arsenal standing in their way — and the Magpies swept past them, winning 2-0 in both legs. Then came Wembley, where Burn etched his name into the records against Liverpool. By scoring in the final, he became the third-oldest Englishman to net in a League Cup final (32 years and 311 days). That’s a proper milestone for the Blyth-born giant.
So where are we now?
Respect restored, rivalry retained. Don’t expect either to pull out of a 50/50 next time Arsenal meet Newcastle — Havertz still ghosts into dangerous spaces and Burn still relishes the duel. But the snarl has softened into seasoned professionalism. For those eyeing the form lines on the best betting sites, note that Burn’s recent record in this head-to-head reads very nicely indeed, even if Mikel Arteta’s lot have landed a couple of heavy blows along the way.
In short: the pint glass is half full. The grudges are gone, the respect is there, and the football — the bit that matters — should be all the tastier for it.
