Mikel Arteta has delivered his verdict on Thomas Partey’s full debut for Arsenal as the Gunners squeezed past Rapid Vienna on Thursday.
Partey arrived from Atletico Madrid for €50millino on deadline day and made his first appearance for the Gunners in a 1-0 Premier League loss to Manchester City.
The 27-year-old made his full debut for Arsenal last night as Arsenal performed a stunning second-half comeback to beat Rapid Vienna 2-1 in the Europa League.
The highly-rated deep-lying midfielder showed what he could bring to the Emirates outfit with his typical, high-octane performance against the Austrian side.
Partey protected Arsenal’s backline with his strong physical midfield presence and anticipation of the game while also dictating the tempo with his pinpoint passing.
With the Ghana international bossing the midfield, his other teammates were able to move forward and chase the deficit following Bernd Leno’s blunder.
Arsenal’s constant pressure came to fruition as David Luiz and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang made sure the Premier League giants open their European campaign with a victory.
During the post-match interview, Mikel Arteta hailed Partey’s influence on his team’s attacking game.
“He [Partey] looked really solid, really comfortable,” the Spaniard said, as relayed by the Daily Star.
“He held midfield by himself in the second half when we were a little bit more open and starting to take more chances attacking certain places with some players.
“He was fantastic tonight, and there’s much more to come from him.
“This is about the structure we have as a team, the flow, the unity, and the cohesion that we need in our team. He’s one piece of that. Hopefully, he’s a big piece.”
Partey should make his first Premier League start this weekend, as Arsenal entertain Leicester City on Sunday.
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