Arsenal: 3 risks with modified 4-3-3 system

2. What if Thomas Partey Has an Off Day?

Pretty straightforward.

Right now, in this team, Arsenal’s two most irreplaceable ingredients are probably Benjamin White and Partey. There are other players in the squad who if unavailable in the lineup are huge misses, of course, but balanced with the rest of the team can at least be less impactful on the whole.

As for Partey, he’s doing what nobody else can do in that No. 6 role.

An outstanding reader of the game defensively, his role in managing transitions, breaking up play and getting back into his box to defend is just as important as what he does going the other way. This system places huge responsibility on him – that which he can handle – to pick up the forward passes to his No. 8’s, find the right people in dangerous spaces, and beat the press with jink and a jive.

It relies on him being consistent. He is the beating heart of the team when he has the play in front of him, and if he isn’t at his free-flowing best then it directly affects the overall performance.

Everyone knows the level that Partey can hit, that which he’s found numerous times this season, but consistency is not his closest ally. Dips in form have been commonplace, usually coinciding with the string of niggling injuries he’s had.

He needs to be on it, pretty much all of the time now. There is less of a midfield partner alongside him to shoulder any burden.

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