3 Arsenal players crucial to Premier League top four charge

2. Thomas Partey

Injuries, poor form and plain bad luck have plagued Thomas Partey since he stepped off the plane from Spain. Yet every once in a while, there is a performance where you see a man free of the expectations placed on his shoulders; a man who doesn’t give the ball away or look sloppy on the pitch; a man whose class can be seen by every supporter and opposition fan alike.

His most recent performance like this was against Man City. Tasked with maintaining control among the best midfielders in the world, he was exceptional.

He moved across the pitch with elegance, gliding between world class players with ease. Even his tackles were pristine as he broke up play while rarely giving conceding possession or fouls. Partey drove Arsenal up the field with mazy runs and inch-perfect balls in abundance. This was the man Arsenal fans have been waiting to see for nearly two years.

Comparatively, his brief outing against Liverpool was disastrous. Fatigue was obvious with his challenges tired and ill-judged. That performance can be explained by the plethora of circumstances around his arrival back to London where he surprisingly ended up on the bench just seven hours after landing in the capital.

For all his dips in form and inconsistent patches, he is still the best midfielder at Arsenal and on his day, one of the best players in the Premier League. For any chance at top four, Arsenal need him back fit and firing alongside Granit Xhaka, which is doubtlessly the Gunners’ best midfield pairing. Albert Sambi Lokonga has filled in as best as he can but he doesn’t have the same ability to receive the ball under pressure before progressing the ball forwards.

Partey does and, the sooner he can suit up for Arsenal, the better.

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