Arsenal: Arteta delivers team news for Crystal Palace trip
Thomas Partey is going to be “massive” for Arsenal next season despite enduring a difficult first campaign with the club, according to his Ghana team-mate Andre Ayew. Partey joined the Gunners for £45million on deadline day in October from Atletico Madrid but has struggled for consistency over the past eight months.
The Ghana international was heralded as a sign of Arsenal’s ambition in the 2020/21 season, but neither he nor the club have had the kind of season they would have hoped for.
Partey has made 31 appearances across all competitions for Mikel Arteta’s side so far, but nine of those have come from the substitutes’ bench.
His performances in some of Arsenal’s biggest games this season have attracted criticism from fans and pundits, with suggestions that a lack of fitness has been behind his struggles.
The 27-year-old central midfielder is used to big European matches, having frequently played in the Champions League for Atletico Madrid.
But his performances across 180 minutes in the Europa League semi-final against Villarreal recently were highlighted by pundits as summing up his time with the Gunners so far.
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Former Arsenal defender Martin Keown summed up the feeling around Partey after the Gunners were dumped out of the Europa League by former boss Unai Emery earlier this month.
Partey was fielded as a lone pivot in central midfield by Arteta and looked completely out of his depth as a 0-0 draw at the Emirates Stadium sent Villarreal through 2-1 on aggregate to face Manchester United in the final in Gdansk next week.
“We thought we were signing the next Patrick Vieira and he hasn’t looked like that at all,” Keown said on BT Sport.
“Started with an injury, came back early and got injured again. Doesn’t seem to have the legs in midfield, certainly on his own.”
Arsenal have won their last three Premier League matches, but still sit 10th ahead of their final two games of the season against Crystal Palace and Brighton this week.