Arsenal supporters have now had their say on the performance that Thomas Partey produced against Manchester United on Sunday.
Arsenal were able to grind out a precious 1-0 victory against Manchester United at Old Trafford on Sunday afternoon.
This victory, whilst hardly a virtuoso performance from the Gunners, kept Mikel Arteta’s side in with a shout of being crowned champions this season. At the very least, the Premier League title race will now go down to the final week of the campaign.
This was far from a vintage Arsenal performance though. Arteta was seen demanding more from centre-back Gabriel Magalhaes and his teammates as soon as Arsenal went ahead.
The visitors were particularly poor in the middle of the park. The Gunners fielded a midfield trio comprised of club captain Martin Odegaard, Declan Rice, and Thomas Partey. On paper, Arsenal outclassed Manchester United in this part of the pitch, but they failed to dominate the midfield battle on the day.
Thomas Partey struggles to impress for Arsenal against Man Utd
Partey, in particular, looked vulnerable, as he turned over possession in his side’s own defensive third on more than one occasion.
The Ghanaian was making just his 12th Premier League appearance of another injury hit campaign, and looked to struggle with the pace and intensity of the game. The 30-year-old lost out in too many duels and failed to consistently play penetrative forward passes between the Manchester United lines.
In truth, this was a performance that suggested that he has lost his edge somewhat. Partey is one of 13 Arsenal players who may leave the club this summer, and Arteta must now commit to moving on from the former Atletico Madrid man.
If Arsenal are to continue their progress under Arteta, then the manager must begin rebuilding his midfield unit around Rice, with far less reliance on the likes of Partey and Jorginho, who are both in the twilight years of their careers.
Arsenal fans react to Thomas Partey display v Manchester United
Plenty of Arsenal fans were far from impressed by what they saw from Partey against the Red Devils.
One fan said of Partey’s performance during the match: “How can Mikel not see this to want to change it.”
Another supporter observed: “He was pretty much terrible today.”
One supporter raged: “No press, no organisation, no movement off the ball. It’s been an absolutely shocking performance.”
Another exclaimed: “Sooner we get rid the better.”