One Arsenal star was unable to produce his best against Manchester United as he delivered a performance that ought to impact Mikel Arteta’s future plans.
As a team, Arsenal were far from their best against Manchester United at Old Trafford on Sunday afternoon.
Despite their sub-par performance, the Gunners were still able to grind out a vital 1-0 win, which kept their Premier League title dream alive. No matter what happens now, the North London outfit will be in with a shout of being crowned champions come the final day of the season.
All eyes will now be on Tottenham Hotspur, as everyone connected with Arsenal will be desperate to see their North London rivals take points off Manchester City. Arsenal legend Paul Merson has even promised to get a Spurs tattoo if Ange Postecoglou’s side pull off a positive result.
Mikel Arteta must ensure that his side maintain their focus on their own task, which will be to beat Everton at the Emirates Stadium on the last day of the season.
The Gunners will need to be better against the Toffees than they were at Old Trafford, particularly in the middle of the park. Martin Odegaard was uncharacteristically quiet against the Red Devils, whilst Declan Rice also failed to stamp his authority on the match. Thomas Partey was criticised by Arsenal fans for his poor display.
Thomas Partey fails to impress for Arsenal v Man Utd
The Ghanaian ace looked to struggle with the pace of the game. The £45 million former Atletico Madrid man was making just his 13th Premier League appearance of the season, in what has been yet another injury-hit campaign.
Against Manchester United, Partey was responsible for losing possession in the Gunners’ own defensive third on a number of occasions, failed to consistently play progressive passes between the lines, and was beaten in duels all too often.
In an Arsenal side which has been built on defensive security this season, Partey looks to be something of a weak link. Whilst he is capable of the spectacular, and can drive the team forward with both his powerful running and bold passing, he also struggles to protect the back door and can be guilty of taking too many risks on the ball.
Is there still a place for Thomas Partey at Arsenal?
In that sense, he no longer feels like a natural fit in Arteta’s team. Journalist James Benge, writing on X, described Partey as looking like “a relic from last season’s Arsenal” against Manchester United.
On top of these frailties, Arteta also can’t rely upon Partey to be fit and available when needed, due to his persistent injury troubles.
Partey was recently named amongst 13 Arsenal players who could leave the club this summer. The Gunners now look to have moved beyond the 30-year-old. The time has come for him to be moved on.