Arsenal: 3 improvements for Sambi Lokonga to make

2. Sambi Needs to Prove He Can Work With Thomas Partey

The only thing more certain of Xhaka starting when fit under Arteta is Thomas Partey starting when fit.

Whatever the manager believes, the Ghanaian is more integral to this team than the Swiss. One need only see how transformative his impact was against Norwich as evidence of that. That’s just the most recent example, of course; he’s shown his value elsewhere.

All of which means it comes down to a straight shootout with Xhaka.

Arsenal can unequivocally do better than the Swiss enforcer – and should have during the recent transfer window – but there is no denying that he and Partey form a strong double pivot. They have individual qualities that can complement each other, thus it’s Sambi who has to prove he’s capable of doing likewise.

Unfortunately for the Belgian he didn’t get a chance to showcase that against the Canaries with Partey starting on the bench.

So when the Burnley games comes around, a fixture in which the pair are largely expected to partner one another, it’s a huge opportunity to demonstrate to the manager that it isn’t essential to have one left-footed player in that position who can succeed in doing the so-called ‘easier’ jobs.

Nothing Xhaka does is overly spectacular but he always shows for the ball in deep areas and progresses with his passing into wider areas effectively. Sambi has the qualities to do that with the added benefit of his on-the-ball and carrying qualities. Making that pairing work is perhaps his biggest aim of all.

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