Arsenal were beaten by Liverpool in their final pre-season friendly of their USA tour, in what was a close affair.
A Kai Havertz strike was not enough as goals from Mohamed Salah and Fabio Carvalho consigned Mikel Arteta’s side to defeat, but there were positives to take.
Arsenal put in an impressive second half display after a chaotic first 45 minutes, and Liverpool manager Arne Slot admitted that Arteta’s side were the dominant team.
However, there were a few causes for concern. Fans were frustrated as Oleksandr Zinchenko picked up where he left off from last season, with his defensive vulnerabilities showing as Salah scored, but he did also show his attacking prowess in the buildup to the Havertz goal.
Arsenal’s lack of ruthlessness in the final third also showed as despite firing in more shots than Liverpool, just two hit the target, and Arteta called on his side to improve in this regard.
One major cause for concern was the performance of Thomas Partey, with the midfielder struggling to keep up physically at times, and this is a familiar issue.
Thomas Partey fitness a cause for concern for Arsenal
Speaking on his YouTube channel, journalist Charles Watts highlighted how Partey’s lack of athleticism has shown in recent months after a long-term injury kept him out for most of the campaign last season.
“I’m still a bit worried by Thomas Partey. As usual with Thomas, he always needs a month of playing to get up to full speed whenever he comes back from injury,” he stated.
“It takes him a little bit longer than most players, but I am still a little bit concerned about the Thomas we saw at the end of last season, and the Thomas we’re seeing now.
“He still just seems a little bit leggier than he used to be, and doesn’t seem to be able to get back and cover the ground he used to be able to.
“It was pretty apparent in the first half that those issues that we saw at the end of last season are still there.”
Arsenal now have Thomas Partey problem in midfield
At his best, Partey is one of the best midfielders in the world in his position, with his combination of physicality and supreme passing ability placing him above most of his peers.
However, losing some of his athleticism has affected him, at least temporarily. Partey was once renowned for his ability to hold the ball and dribble out from deeper positions, beating the press, but now at the base of midfield, he may get caught in possession.
Mikel Merino is set to join, which could see Partey drop to the bench and Declan Rice play at the base of midfield, but the Ghanian is in the final year of his contract and on a big wage, meaning that a move now looks unlikely.
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