Pain in the Arsenal
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Arsenal vs Southampton: 4 Things We Learned From Stirring Comeback

By Ross Kennerley

Arsenal's English striker Bukayo Saka (L) celebrates scoring his team's second goal with Arsenal's Spanish defender Hector Bellerin (C) and Arsenal's French-born Ivorian midfielder Nicolas Pepe during the English Premier League football match between Southampton and Arsenal at St Mary's Stadium in Southampton, southern England on January 26, 2021. (Photo by Frank Augstein / POOL / AFP) / RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE. No use with unauthorized audio, video, data, fixture lists, club/league logos or 'live' services. Online in-match use limited to 120 images. An additional 40 images may be used in extra time. No video emulation. Social media in-match use limited to 120 images. An additional 40 images may be used in extra time. No use in betting publications, games or single club/league/player publications. / (Photo by FRANK AUGSTEIN/POOL/AFP via Getty Images)
Arsenal's English striker Bukayo Saka (L) celebrates scoring his team's second goal with Arsenal's Spanish defender Hector Bellerin (C) and Arsenal's French-born Ivorian midfielder Nicolas Pepe during the English Premier League football match between Southampton and Arsenal at St Mary's Stadium in Southampton, southern England on January 26, 2021. (Photo by Frank Augstein / POOL / AFP) / RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE. No use with unauthorized audio, video, data, fixture lists, club/league logos or 'live' services. Online in-match use limited to 120 images. An additional 40 images may be used in extra time. No video emulation. Social media in-match use limited to 120 images. An additional 40 images may be used in extra time. No use in betting publications, games or single club/league/player publications. / (Photo by FRANK AUGSTEIN/POOL/AFP via Getty Images) /
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Arsenal, Thomas Partey
SOUTHAMPTON, ENGLAND – JANUARY 26: Thomas Partey of Arsenal (Photo by Naomi Baker/Getty Images) /

Thomas Partey is Still Not at His Best

Thomas Partey’s influence on this team is more than just direct. From his own capabilities, he can sidestep elegantly, carry the ball through lines, intercept, cover, tackle, pick a pass and speed up interaction in the central third. Not a great deal, right?

Apart from what he personally brings to the side, a figure of that finesse in the centre of the park provides mental assurances to those around him. Rob Holding‘s options on the ball increase due to Partey’s ability in tight spaces, the wide players make more daring runs due to his passing range, and Granit Xhaka has more space to move the ball on in possession as the Ghanaian draws in extra opposition players.

His impact is far-reaching, and he still wasn’t anywhere near his best on Tuesday. Clearly his fitness is still lacking as evidenced by him cramping (possibly) up 12 minutes from time. There were some mistakes on the ball that can be easily be put down to match sharpness, while him and Xhaka did both get caught too high up on a couple of occasions.

A lot of that was due to the high press Arsenal were engaged in, as well as the lack of minutes together for him and the Swiss, yet it’s nonetheless an area to work on.

And, despite that, he was still key to that victory. Having such an impact when only at 70% or so speaks volumes of his talent, and the intelligence of his purchase. £45m is some outlay for someone that is almost 28, but he’s got years left in him at the highest level, and Arsenal still haven’t seen that yet.

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