Arsenal star Thomas Partey captained Ghana in their 1-0 defeat against Angola.
The midfielder has started all three games for the Gunners in the Premier League this season, and he has produced some mixed performances.
Partey has shown flashes of his brilliance for Arsenal, but there have been moments where he has struggled with the physical side of his game.
Against Angola in the AFCON qualifier on Thursday, Partey played the full 90 minutes but sadly ended up on the losing side.
Arsenal star Thomas Partey’s performance in Ghana vs Angola rated
Partey is definitely the biggest name in Ghanaian football right now.
The Black Stars also have the likes of Mohamed Kudus and the Ayew brothers, but the Arsenal man is the captain and most accomplished player of them all.
Against Angola on Thursday, Partey started in midfield like he usually does and showed incredible composure on the ball.
However, he has received some criticism for two things – lack of coordination in the buildup to Angola’s goal and his inability to create chances.
The latter is very interesting as Partey has never really been seen as a creator on the pitch because he starts as a number six more often than not.
Ghana Soccer Net gave Partey a 5.5/10 rating and wrote: “The captain showed his usual calmness on the ball but didn’t create as many opportunities as expected.”
My Joy Online rated Partey 5/10 and said: “He was clean with his passing and made some important ball retrievals when it looked risky, but he came out good.
“In the passing sequence that led to the goal, there was acres of space on the left side of midfield where the pass was threaded out to Luvumbo for the cross. Better coordination with Majeed Ashimeru could have cut that pass out.”
Finally, KickGh gave Partey a 5.5/10 score and wrote: “Partey’s calmness on the ball was evident, but he failed to create as many key opportunities as expected from the captain.”
Partey could play a different role for Arsenal against Tottenham
Partey has started each of Arsenal’s first three games in the Premier League this season in a defensive midfield role.
Declan Rice has been deployed as a number eight, but the Englishman is suspended for the Gunners’ trip to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium for the North London Derby after the international break.
That complicates things for Mikel Arteta, and the Spaniard will now have to make a big change in the middle of the park.
Jurrien Timber has been suggested as Rice’s replacement and that’s not a bad idea at all, while Kai Havertz can also drop back to a number eight role if required.
However, the most obvious option is to bring Jorginho into the side as the number six. That would push Partey into a box-to-box role, where he is more than comfortable.
If that does happen, the Ghanaian will have to create a few chances in the final third, which is something he couldn’t do against Angola on Thursday.
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