Mikel Arteta must start Thomas Partey in midfield for rest of the season

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta must start midfielder Thomas Partey for the rest of the season following his brilliant performance against Chelsea on Tuesday night.

The Ghana international has had a tough time with injuries in the current campaign. He made his first league start since August 2023 in yesterday’s London derby.

Partey showed his class with a composed performance from the number six role. He made three interceptions and four recoveries while winning 100 per cent of his tackles.

The 30-year-old also created two chances and managed nine passes into the final third.

His presence at the heart of the midfield also freed up Declan Rice to operate higher up the field.

We saw a glimpse of that against Wolves last weekend. Rice starred for the Gunners again last night, playing a part in two goals scored in the convincing 5-0 rout.

In our opinion, Partey and Rice seem the ideal midfield partnership. Jorginho has fared well in recent months, but he is not the best when it comes to making recoveries.

Manager Mikel Arteta said that Partey had a ‘really good game‘ after the derby and we believe the Spaniard must start the €20 million-rated star for the rest of the season.

Partey’s injury record has been a concern for a while but for the short term, the Gunners could benefit from his presence as they look to keep their title hopes alive.

Arsenal are currently top of the table, three points ahead of second-placed Liverpool with a superior goal difference. Manchester City are third with a four-point deficit, but with two games in hand.

The Cityzens are favourites to clinch a fourth straight league title, but the Gunners need to keep the pressure on them by winning their remaining matches this term.

Stats from Transfermarkt.com & Sofascore.com