Arsenal: 4 reasons Sambi keeps his place over Maitland-Niles

4. Thomas Partey Needs Continuity in Midfield

Xhaka is often considered the foil to Partey. The player who loosens his defensive shackles and allows him to express himself more freely in an attacking sense.

He doesn’t have that at the moment, and he won’t have that until the Swiss returns from injury, which is scheduled for sometime in January (knowing him he’ll be back sooner).

So what does Partey need alongside him in midfield? He needs Sambi more than he needs Maitland-Niles. The latter is more of the No. 8 ilk, whereas the Belgian fits more comfortably into the No. 6/8 crossover. Much in the same way to the Ghanaian.

The 28-year-old is at his best when he can combine the deep intercepting role with more of the ball-carrying brutality he has in his locker, and that is more possible when he is alongside someone like Sambi who is much more suited to the No. 6 role than Maitland-Niles.

Not only is there more room for them to dovetail as a pairing, it’s also the partnerships that has played together the most this season. Keeping that in tact for as many of the games as possible is vital for continuity ahead of this hectic period, and as a duo they’ve looked strong across this unbeaten run.

In general, the idea that Sambi should be taken out of the team to face Newcastle is an overblown response to what was a nightmare eight minutes against one of the best teams in Europe. He should keep his place without question.

The only reason for keeping him out against the Magpies would be if the goal was to rest him for the following fixture away at Manchester United. Otherwise, he plays.