3 reasons Arsenal should move on from Thomas Partey

2. Physicality

In the lone six role, Thomas has thrived with Saliba behind him as the team plays a high line and squashes the opposition into their defensive third. Without Saliba, Partey has struggled with the distances he is required to cover and hasn’t looked comfortable being asked to tweak his role sightly.

Injuries could well have taken their toll on his body. He now looks like a stiff mover and struggles going back to front when defending and is much more comfortable covering the ground from side to side, where he can use his strength to win the ball and redistribute with ease.

That has been a big strength for Arsenal this season when they have been playing well, but when the team has an off day and has to do more defensive running and get involved in a scrap, Partey hasn’t been at his best.

Again, this is an area where Rice can offer an upgrade. For England and West Ham, he thrives in teams that have to cover a lot of ground, and his engine doesn’t stop. He embraces the physical side and is a powerful runner with and without the ball.

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