Arsenal: The 5 big tactical consequences of Thomas Partey arrival

2. The end of Lucas Torreira

Lucas Torreira was meant to be Arsenal’s solution to the defensive midfield position. After signing Granit Xhaka in place of N’Golo Kante, the Gunners routinely lacked an energetic, disruptive figure at the base of their midfield. While Kante was winning his second Premier League and the World Cup, Arsenal slipped out of the top four.

However, while out of possession Torreira is excellent, offering the scrappy, obdurate, incessant defensive presence that Kante has made famous in recent years, on the ball, the Uruguayan is limited. His passing is overly conservative, he rarely bursts past a defender and breaks open an attack, while he offers little progression when breaking down disciplined defences.

Partey, then, is very much Torreira-plus. He replicates the same defensive impact but provides more quality on the ball. He is an excellent passer, his frame allows him to protect possession when pressed, and he uses his size and power to brush past defenders and drive forwards, committing defenders to press him before releasing a teammate. Torreira cannot do that. This might be the end of his time at Arsenal.