Arsenal dropped points for a second-straight Premier League game after a 2-2 draw against Liverpool at the Emirates Stadium yesterday.
The Gunners were without Martin Odegaard, William Saliba and Riccardo Calafiori, but they delivered a credible performance.
They had the better chances in the opening half in particular and could have won the game without two forced defensive changes.
Gabriel Magalhaes and Jurrien Timber were both substituted with injuries. This contributed towards Liverpool scoring a late equaliser.
Despite the stalemate, there were plenty of positives to carry forward.
Bukayo Saka continued his stellar form with his 11th goal contribution from as many outings, while Mikel Merino bagged his maiden goal for Arsenal.
Declan Rice had a good outing and delivered two sumptuous crosses into the box. Merino could have easily scored a brace on another day.
However, Thomas Partey was the Gunners’ best player despite starting in a makeshift right-back position.
Before the start of the match, some Arsenal fans would have been concerned about the Ghanaian facing Liverpool’s Luis Diaz.
However, the 31-year-old silenced any critics with a splendid defensive showing. Partey won 13 duels and made four successful tackles.
Partey completed 87 percent of his passes and had 76 touches. He lost possession on multiple occasions but made up for it with several recoveries, interceptions and clearances.
Diaz had the better of Partey on one occasion. Other than that, the Colombian was hardly a threat. He was replaced by Cody Gakpo who faced the same fate.
Partey has been with Arsenal since 2020. He has fared reasonably well but has struggled with injuries.
He has stayed unscathed at the start of this season and has become an undisputed starter under manager Mikel Arteta.
His current deal expires at the end of the season, and this has probably brought out the best in him.
Arsenal will evaluate Partey’s form and fitness over the coming months before deciding whether to offer a renewal beyond next summer.
Stats from Fotmob.com.
