Arsenal fans had a lot to say about Thomas Partey after the Gunners were beaten by Liverpool in a pre-season friendly.
Arsenal’s pre-season tour of the US came to an end last night with a 2-1 defeat against Liverpool in Philadelphia.
Mikel Arteta named a strong starting XI for this match, with Hale End youngsters including Ethan Nwaneri left on the bench.
Arteta made good on his hint about Kai Havertz and did deploy the German in the middle of the park, with Gabriel Jesus tasked with leading the line instead. Club captain Martin Odegaard and Thomas Partey rounded out the midfield trio.
Partey will be desperate to build up a base level of fitness over the course of pre-season, which ought to help him get through the upcoming campaign unscathed when it comes to injuries.
However, there is a sense that the recurrent fitness issues that have plagued the 31-year-old throughout his Arsenal career have already taken a toll.
Arsenal fans express Thomas Partey concern after 2-1 Liverpool defeat
Seeing the Ghanaian struggle against the Reds, many Arsenal fans felt that the midfielder’s inability to compete physically, even at this stage of pre-season, is a real cause for concern.
One supporter said: “He’s definitely a liability at this point.”
Another claimed: “I think I’ve seen Thomas Partey sprint about 3 times since 2022.”
One fan added: “One thing that concerns me is how much more open we look with Partey playing. He’s just not in the right places and can’t get around the pitch. We won the games he played at the end of last season but the games were a lot more stretched and our press was less effective.”
Another stated: “Dudes legs are toast man. Can’t believe we’re gonna take him into the season when he should be in a retirement home.”
What Mikel Arteta must do about Partey
Arsenal may be open to selling Partey this summer, but so far no suitors have come forward with an offer for the midfielder.
Given his injury record, age, and wage package it could prove all but impossible to sell Partey in any case.
Of course, if the player can get back to his best then he could still be an important player for the Gunners this season, but all the signs indicate that his peak years are now behind him.
If there is any opportunity to offload Partey this summer, then Arteta must take it. Certainly, the Spanish coach needs to find a means of reducing his reliance on the former Atletico Madrid man.
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