Deadline day 2020. Arsenal pay Thomas Partey’s £45m Atletico Madrid release clause and the Ghanaian joins on a long-term deal at the Emirates. One of the World’s best midfielders, an Arsenal player.
A year on, the move hasn’t gone in the way some may have predicted. Partey suffered from repetitive injuries during his first season at the club, leading to a struggle to maintain fitness and adapt to the league. Towards the end of the season, however, we started to see the brilliance of the midfielder. Dictating play, breaking lines with his passes, and providing a constant shield for the defence.
If Arsenal are to be successful next season, Thomas Partey must be a constant. In order to best utilise their midfield star Arsenal must keep him fit and healthy first of all, while a priority in the transfer window must be to find him a partner who can complement and find balance.
Breaking the Lines
Whilst an incredibly well-rounded midfielder, Thomas Partey has his obvious strengths. His passing is one of these.
Last season the Ghanaian ranked in the top 7% of the top five league midfielders in his position for progressive passing (as per FBref.com), made more impressive by the injury-filled season Partey had.
With a player like Emile Smith Rowe ahead of him, Partey’s direct passing is complemented perfectly. As we have seen in Arsenal’s first friendly games of pre-season, Smith Rowe is more than capable of killing a ball with his first touch and turning. This means Partey is able to fizz the ball into the young midfielder, breaking the opposition’s midfield line and creating scoring opportunities.
Another stat that Partey excels in and one which landed him again in the top 7% for his position, is progressive carries. The ability to carry the ball forward from deep, drawing out opposition players from their positions, is another vital element of breaking the lines.
Partey is extremely composed on the ball and able to beat players regularly with his powerful frame and faultless technique. Having a midfielder with this ability naturally draws players from their deep block positioning and is a massive bonus to have when trying to break down rigid, structured defences.
Defensive Work
As an all-action midfielder, Partey also is very well versed defensively. The midfielder’s long legs and high stamina allow him to roam the midfield for the full 90 minutes, disrupting opposition attacks and shielding the back-line.
Partey also has a great ability to read the game, allowing him to step in and cut out passes as they are made and giving Arsenal the chance to counter swiftly and effectively.
Partey averaged 1.8 tackles per game in the Premier League and 1 interception. While still impressive, these numbers are not representative of Partey’s past seasons at Atleti. Of course, this is not surprising considering Partey’s injury-ravaged season but hints at plenty of room for improvement for this season.
The Right Partner
The right partner for Thomas Partey must be one who compliments his strengths and disguises his flaws.
Granit Xhaka has been Thomas Partey’s partner for the majority of his time at Arsenal and has been a great fit. The Swiss is a masterful long-range passer and is happy to sit deep and dictate the tempo with Partey free to get from box to box.
There are downsides, however. Xhaka is not the most mobile of midfielders and can struggle to get back when caught out, this combined with his sometimes error-prone tendencies has landed Arsenal in sticky positions plenty of times over the last few years. The former Captain now looks set to leave the club this summer, making a replacement vital.
Internally, early impressions of new signing Albert Lokonga look very positive. In pre-season the young Belgian has partnered Partey well, sitting deep and allowing Partey to move forward similarly to Xhaka, but holding the advantage of good recovery pace. The new Arsenal man is very young however and is seen as one for the future. To place a starting XI burden over him immediately may prove to be a mistake that hurts his development.
Externally, Yves Bissouma and Manuel Locatelli of Brighton and Sassuolo respectively, have shared links to Arsenal for large periods of the transfer window. Both midfielders would compliment Partey, but for very different reasons.
Bissouma is simply a defensive master. He ranked in the top 9% of the top five league midfielders in his position for tackling last season, his Premier League average 2.9, higher than Partey by 1.1. His interception average 1.8 was also higher than the Arsenal man.
Partey is a far better passer than Bissouma, not to say Bissouma is a bad passer. A defensive player like Bissouma may allow Partey to dominate the ball and dictate the tempo, which could be exactly what he needs to thrive.
Locatelli is statistically one of the best passers in Europe. The Italian ranked in the top 2% of passes attempted and progressive passes last season. For Partey, Locatelli would represent a midfield partner who can create chances from deep and allow Partey to move forward, while holding the ability to cover and win the ball back.
Locatelli would allow Partey to play to his absolute strengths and absolutely bring the best from the Ghanaian. Unfortunately, Locatelli seems to have his heart set on a move to Juventus this Summer, but Arsenal rumours have not gone away just yet.
The Best Partey
In order for Arsenal to have a positive season and push toward top four, we must see the best Thomas Partey. Arsenal must provide their £45m man with an ideal midfield partner and keep him fit, something the lack of Europe with no doubt help with.
For Arsenal, Thomas Partey, and indeed Mikel Arteta, the 2021/2022 season is a massive one and a massive chance to prove themselves to the fanbase.