Arsenal secured a comfortable 2-0 victory over Luton Town at the Emirates on Wednesday night after Mikel Arteta made several changes to his team.
The victory was secured in the first half, with Martin Odegaard opening the scoring with a fine strike into the bottom corner, before Emile Smith Rowe forced an own goal from Daiki Hashioka to grab all three points.
A number of players were making their first appearances in a long time, as they were given a rare chance to impress, and some took their opportunities.
Smith Rowe, Oleksandr Zinchenko, Thomas Partey and Reiss Nelson all made rare starts, and they have earned mixed reviews. However, Partey looked strong as he continued his recovery from injury.
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Thomas Partey impresses in Arsenal win vs Luton
Partey made his first start since August after missing a significant period out with injury, and replaced Declan Rice, who dropped to the bench for the first time in the league this season.
The 30-year-old looked back to his best after some shaky recent cameo appearances, and this will be a big boost for Mikel Arteta ahead of the run-in.
GOAL gave Partey a 7/10 for his display, and credited Partey for what was a promising performance.
“His first Premier League start since August and there were some really positive signs. Tired as the game went on, but that was to be expected. Could be a crucial player over the run-in,” their match-ratings claimed.
Thomas Partey return could be game-changing for Arsenal
Arsenal have eight Premier League games remianing, and also have a two-legged Champions League tie against Bayern Munich.
In what is a tough fixture schedule, it is important to keep key players such as Declan Rice fit, and Partey’s inclusion in the XI against Luton allowed Arteta to give Rice a rare rest.
Arsenal were able to secure the points without him as a result of Partey’s physicality in midfield, whilst he did also play some good passes.
Partey’s return now means that Arteta can rest Rice, or even play him alongside Partey, which would become one of the most robust midfield pairings in the league.
This could make a huge difference in the title race, with Arsenal now able to rotate more, whilst also welcoming back one of the standout defensive midfielders in the division.