Arsenal would see Thomas Partey thrive with Yves Bissouma

Arsenal have waited a long time for Thomas Partey to come into his own since his £45m move. While they are still yet to see him fully flourish in midfield, his performance against Chelsea hinted towards what could make him prosper.

Thomas Partey didn’t start well at Stamford Bridge. Throughout his time in north London it’s been the same combination of raw talent and vision with sloppiness on the ball and questionable decision making. It looked like being more of the same in the early stages on Wednesday.

Nobody else in the Arsenal midfield possess his qualities. Whether it’s a drop of the shoulder, a feint on the ball or the intelligence to evade the press, when those moves come off they’re delightful on the eye.

Hoping for a Patrick Vieira regen, it’s been more like Abou Diaby thus far. These phases of play and elegant motions are lost amid a collection of wasteful passes out of play and hopeless efforts from range.

Arsenal would see Thomas Partey thrive with Yves Bissouma after midfielder has fine evening alongside Mohamed Elneny at Chelsea

However, much like the rest of the side, he grew into the game and began playing with a freedom of expression that has been previously bottled up. Mohamed Elneny helped take the lid off.

The Egyptian had an impressive outing against the Blues, constantly shifting with the play and cutting off passing lanes. His energy was infectious but crucially allowed Partey to focus his attention on intercepting and tackling.

A dynamic between the midfield pivot has been tried with Partey and Dani Ceballos, with one pressing and one sweeping in behind, but the balance is entirely off. No inkling of chemistry. With Elneny doing the harassing role, Partey had one of his best 45 minutes in an Arsenal shirt to date in that second period. The pair linked up equally well at Old Trafford.

Elneny is limited in his skillset and doesn’t boast the technical ability the centre of the park needs. Energy-wise, however, there can be no arguments. This is where Yves Bissouma comes in.

The Malian has an equally relentless engine, greater athleticism and precision of touch that would see the Ghanaian blossom. Bissouma would usually hold the deeper slot at Brighton and, in many ways, perform the Partey role, but there is scope for combination there that would bring the best out of both players.

Arsenal lack – and have lacked for a while – fear factor in midfield. When the opposition are in the tunnel you want them to look to their side and worry about the physical warfare that will take place: how you beat their defensive shield, how to bypass the press and whether or not they can win any duels.

Partey was signed as a world class player. He is a world class player. To date that has only been visible in fleeting doses, which has not been good enough. While it shouldn’t be about splashing £30-£40m to find the right partner for someone of his calibre, there is no shying away from the lack of quality alongside him without Granit Xhaka.

With so much tinkering in the lineups – this was Arsenal’s 36th Premier League game and their 35th different starting 11 – partnerships haven’t been properly forged. It’s evident with some of the younger players due to their longevity together, while midfield has lacked that stability. Real substance and structure.

For the boost of quality, Bissouma’s signing alone is worthwhile. For the resilience, structural integrity and Partey potential, it’s vital.