He’s more than a defensive midfielder

Sports News for Saturday, October 24, 2020

Source: Ghana Soccernet

2020-10-24

After Martin Keown, Owen Hargreaves and announcer Piers Morgan paid tribute, Alan Smith got lyrical with Thomas Partey after his masterclass performance for Arsenal in the Europa League in the middle of the week.

Partey was in his usual frame of mind during the Gunners’ 2-1 win against Rapid Vienna in the opening match of the 2020/21 UEFA Europa League on Wednesday.

The Ghana international got off to an explosive start in central midfield, winning balls for his new team and leaving opponents for dead with the use of his power, pace and nimble footwork.

Former players such as Martin Keown and Owen Hargreaves joined renowned broadcaster Piers Morgan to sing the praises of the 27-year-old enforcer after his swashbuckling display in his first start with the Emirates Stadium team.

Smith wrote for the London Evening Standard: “He was hardly wrong in a performance that showed an impressive passing range that should encourage anyone in front to keep racing.

“Keeping the midfielder? No, Partey is much more than that. He demonstrated it emphatically with incisive play that suggested a useful understanding could quickly develop with Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang.

“Not wanting to get carried away, the way he ran the game, Partey brought back memories of Patrick Vieira. For the first time since the days of the majestic Frenchman, the Gunners can now boast of a dominant force in the middle of the park that can change a game. as well as physically mixing it up. “

Partey joined Arsenal on a five-year contract for a reported fee of € 50 million from Atlético de Madrid on the day of the transfer deadline.

He made his Gunners debut recently in the Premier League against Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City, joining the action as a substitute in the second half.