Thomas Partey was sensational in Arsenal’s first away victory in the Premier League this season as they came out 1-0 winners against Burnley at Turf Moor.
It was also the first away clean sheet the Gunners have kept in the league after previously suffering defeats to London rivals Brentford and Chelsea in this campaign.
It comes as no coincidence that the fortunes of the club start shifting after Partey makes his first start of the season.
The Ghanaian was exceptional in the midfield putting on a performance that was head shoulders above every other player on the pitch.
What was more satisfying for Arsenal fans was that Partey was excelling in the anchor role at Turf Moor where Granit Xhaka struggled in that position the season before.
The Swiss captain was at fault for the goal conceded in the 2020 fixture which finished 1-1 and seriously hampered the North London club’s chances of finishing in the European qualification spots.
Bernd Leno had played a pass to the midfielder and he looked nervy which made him attempt a dangerous pass across the goal which deflected off Chris Wood and went into the Arsenal net.
The Gunners were unable to bounce back from this and the game finished as a stalemate. This highlighted Arsenal’s inability to withstand the high-press the opposition played despite Mikel Arteta’s persistence in building up from the back.
This season’s fixture at Turf Moor finally saw Arsenal successfully building play from the back without the team looking on the verge of squandering possession.
A big reason for this was due to Thomas Partey playing in the anchor role instead of Granit Xhaka. The Ghanaian was in a similar position to where Xhaka was at fault for the goal in the previous season but Partey comfortably received the ball on the back foot and kept possession of the ball.
Aaron Ramsdale also provided the much-needed comfort when in possession of the ball which made the defence more assured compared to when Bernd Leno was playing between the sticks which led to a host of errors.
Instances like this show how crucial Thomas Partey is to the side if the Gunners want to successfully build from the back and avoid any mistakes.
Make sure you have subscribed to The Arsenal Way! The Fan Brands team along with plenty of your football.london favourites will be producing daily Arsenal content for you to enjoy including match reactions, podcasts, football fun and interviews.
