Pain in the Arsenal
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Arsenal: 3 important jobs for Thomas Partey this season

By Ross Kennerley

Arsenal's Ghanaian midfielder Thomas Partey arrives for the English Premier League football match between Burnley and Arsenal at Turf Moor in Burnley, north west England on September 18, 2021. - 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 Lindsey Parnaby / 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. / 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 LINDSEY PARNABY/AFP via Getty Images)
Arsenal's Ghanaian midfielder Thomas Partey arrives for the English Premier League football match between Burnley and Arsenal at Turf Moor in Burnley, north west England on September 18, 2021. - 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 Lindsey Parnaby / 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. / 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 LINDSEY PARNABY/AFP via Getty Images) /
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Arsenal, Thomas Partey
BURNLEY, ENGLAND – SEPTEMBER 18: Thomas Partey of Arsenal during the Premier League match between Burnley and Arsenal at Turf Moor on September 18, 2021 in Burnley, England. (Photo by Robbie Jay Barratt – AMA/Getty Images) /

3. Stop Shooting From Miles Out

Or, alternatively, stop being so **** at it and score a few goals.

The stats make for gloriously atrocious viewing: Partey has the highest shot usage rate for Arsenal players while he is on the pitch, taking 26% of the shots. With that 26% he has produced just 8% of the team’s expected goals. He averages 0.04 xG per shot.

Having a player take a high volume of long shots is totally fine. For years Arsenal fans bemoaned the unwillingness of the team to do exactly that.

However, preferably those efforts at goal come from someone with a track record of making them count. At least hitting the target would be nice.

Partey does not do this.

What is obvious is that he’s desperate for his first goal. So are (were) the fans. Whatever millisecond of thought comes into his head just as the trigger is about to be pulled must be putting him off. But is it coming anytime soon? You’d argue not having seen his track record.

So either spend hours with Steve Round and Mohamed Elneny after training or just stop shooting from miles out. One or the other. Please, Thomas.

dark. Next. 5 striker targets rumoured

Check out some bonus content right here, where Ross Kennerley talks to Sporticos Editor-in-Chief Craig Hanson about all things Arsenal, the glory days, AFTV, social media fandom and much more!

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