Former Manchester United legend, Gary Neville, has offered a suggestion to Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta, advising him to position Thomas Partey in the midfield role.
Thomas Partey, aged 28, has been deployed as a right-back in Arsenal’s initial three matches of the ongoing Premier League season, and his performance in this unconventional role has been impressive.
However, Arsenal recently encountered a 2-2 draw against Fulham at the Emirates Stadium, and following the game, fans criticized Arteta’s decision.
Neville, in his post-match analysis, specifically highlighted Partey and advocated for Arteta to prominently place the Ghanaian player in the midfield alongside Martin Odegaard and Declan Rice. Neville made this recommendation in anticipation of Arsenal’s upcoming significant encounter against Manchester United on Sunday, September 3.
Expressing his views on Sky Sports, Neville emphasized, “I would say that for me, looking at Arsenal, there is this element of experimentation. Thomas Partey is playing half-and-half in a game. Sometimes you need to go back to basics,” he said on Sky Sports.
Neville further predicted that in the forthcoming match against Manchester United, Arteta is likely to abandon this experimental approach and opt for a more solid back four. In this setup, Neville envisioned Partey taking up a midfield role, flanked by Declan Rice and Martin Ødegaard.
“I’d expect next week [vs Man Utd] Mikel Arteta is going to end that experiment and go with a solid back four. Move Partey into midfield with Declan Rice and Martin Ødegaard,” he added.
