Thomas Partey the Arsenal powerhouse. Thomas Partey the Rolls Royce midfielder. Thomas Partey is the key to a successful season. Thomas Partey the….out of form man?
Beating Newcastle in the way Arsenal did was a case of getting the job done in an effective and professional manner.
The Magpies set up with the aim of frustrating Mikel Arteta’s side by having 11 men behind the ball at all times and compressing central areas. It was all about limiting the spaces in key zones and relying on winning the individual duels.
Arsenal eventually broke the visitors’ resistance with two delightful goals. Bukayo Saka’s well-taken strike came after a neat move on the left side involving Emile Smith Rowe and Nuno Tavares, while Gabriel Martinelli’s was an incredibly composed finish having got on the end of Takehiro Tomiyasu’s neatly cushioned pass.
Arsenal: 4 reasons to try and explain the worrying form Thomas Partey has shown in the Premier League this season as the Manchester United clash awaits.
But where were the senior players in all of this? Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang came under criticism for his lack of potency, just as Partey found himself under the microscope for the second match running after an uneventful outing against Liverpool.
It’s prompted wider concerns of his form heading into a crucial period of the season, as well as a vital away trip to Old Trafford on Thursday. This team wants 8/10 Partey performances every game and, for the most part, they aren’t getting them. He isn’t firing on all cylinders.
Is there basis behind this patch of form, is too much being asked of him, or are there other possible reasons that could explain why there is some growing concern surrounding the £45m acquisition?
Let’s take a look.
1. There is Too Much Expectation Around Thomas Partey
The bulk of the criticism of Partey is that Arsenal aren’t getting enough from him as an overall package. As much as price tags have to be eliminated from the discussion, the £45m deadline day signing is always going to be seen as the pedestal from where Partey will be judged.
Add to that the resignation in making the purchase that any resale value would never come close to matching that figure and the situation is blown up further.
So what does everyone expect from him? Is he meant to be dominating matches from start to finish and owning the pitch as he had done in that famous Old Trafford win last season? Knowing those are the heights he can hit, perhaps it is.
Over the course of his career, Partey has suffered from inconsistency. As brilliant as he was with Atletico Madrid, he wasn’t always a certified starter and dips in form occurred.
Yet seeing how much of a cut above he was when he first came into the team (the Rapid Vienna Europa League game was him oozing class) can have played a part in clouding the judgment. Maybe because the yearning is so potent for him to be the talisman midfielder, the expectations placed upon him, therefore, are less likely to be met.
When our spoiled palates aren’t satisfied, maybe some of the better elements of his game can be unwillingly glossed over.
2. Thomas Partey Being Played Deeper Alongside Sambi
It’s two matches in a row now where Sambi Lokonga has been the standout midfielder. At Liverpool he had a tidy game in the first half before those infamous eight-second-half minutes, and against Newcastle it was he who ran the midfield with some lovely distribution either side.
Partey’s role, particularly against Newcastle, was limited. He was handed the bulk of the defensive duties and in this instance did them fairly well barring the occasional, and sloppy, hiccup.
With Sambi taking on more of an expansive role as he flexes his No. 8 style muscles, giving Partey less of the ‘glamorous’ roles might be part of a long-term strategy to mould the Belgian into a more rounded midfield player.
When the Ghanaian joined it was stated that Arteta’s desire to hand him more attacking freedom in the team was among the reasons behind him being convinced to sign. In his earlier months at the club fans got to see his majestic carrying ability on show, which he was allowed to perform more consistently when he had a Granit Xhaka or a Mohamed Elneny alongside him.
In possessing someone still young and new to the Premier League in Sambi, having the best No. 6 in the squad play as a more certified holding midfielder may be part of a tactical shift to get the best out of Sambi and add more stability centrally. In doing so, it’s natural that Partey’s form could be perceived as ‘dipping’ since he’s less involved in the aspects he might be associated with.
3. Opposition Sides Target Thomas Partey More
Partey offers Arsenal centrality. He is a dangerous tool that when given license to get on the ball and feed line breaking passes can hurt the best sides in Europe.
Naturally, the opposition will find ways to counter that.
Liverpool is a recent example of Partey being deliberately marked out of the game. Sambi was the man left free by Jurgen Klopp’s side to try and dictate the play for Arsenal because he’s seen as less of a threat in their eyes. Rightly so, even if he’s taking big strides.
Teams gather data points on who they’re facing and mark out the players of biggest threat. Cut Partey out of the game and you immediately stand a greater chance of reducing Arsenal’s threat.
Just because he’s being man-marked or doubled up on doesn’t mean he is given a free ride, however. Partey is a press-resistant midfielder and his feints beyond markers is one of his most endearing traits, so there has to be more on his part to impact games where he is being singled out as a threat.
It can be part of the reason for him being, shall we say, more ineffective of late than all parties would like. Anyone preparing their team to face Arsenal will look to limit Partey’s time on the ball or prevent him from assuming possession entirely.
Any sane manager would instruct their team of this, and it can be having a bearing.
4. Thomas Partey’s Fitness Levels Are Far From an Elite Level
Everyone has grown unfortunately accustomed to the injury issues that have plagued Partey’s career in north London. Having barely missed any action at all during his Atletico Madrid days, or indeed his whole career up until this point, the various niggles and setbacks have undoubtedly hindered his progress.
Beyond him just being absent there is also the burden of match fitness. Being passed fit is one thing. Actually hitting your peak physical level is another. Arsenal have been host to countless players who’ve been in and out of the team due to injury and many of them often required two, three, four or even more matches to get up to a level where they can make a positive impact.
Not being at his most elegantly bombastic self in recent outings, the two week absence he had from playing over the international break could well have set him back more than it would others.
His fitness has never been at an elite level. While he rarely missed out for Atletico with injury, in the three seasons prior to his move to Arsenal where he made 100 La Liga appearances, he only completed the 90 minutes on 55 occasions.
For a midfielder so heavily courted by Arsenal, this is something that will have come up during their research and was deemed was not factor worthy of pulling the plug. Seeing him blowing around the 75-80 minute mark is not solely an Arsenal thing.
So when he is out, the time it takes to return to the world class level he’s capable of is longer than it would be for others. As much as fitness doesn’t want to be used as an excuse, which it isn’t, it’s a historical data point that has existed throughout his career.
An elite footballer on his day, he can’t also be considered an elite athlete for this reason.
Conclusion: Is there one defining answer behind this perceived lack of form, or are there any number of combinations that contribute? It’s tough to say. But it’s hard to say any single reason is behind it, just as there is scope to suggest there is no actual dip in form and outside perception and expectations dictate the narrative.
What is for certain is that he is an inconsistent world class midfielder. Turning 29 years of age next summer, that’s unlikely to ever change.
Culled from paininthearsenal.com
