After an injury that kept him out of action for four months, midfielder Thomas Partey has returned to Arsenal, and manager Mikel Arteta is happy to have him back.
In the second half of the Gunners’ 6-0 thumping of Sheffield United at Bramall Lane, the Ghanaian international returned, taking Jorginho’s place in the 65th minute.
Partey will need to prove himself worthy of a starting spot in the starting lineup, Arteta said, acknowledging that he still needs to get back to match fitness.
“Obviously, Thomas is eligible to play a specific amount of minutes today. It was his first minute after four months, which is a long period, so he needs to build that. After the game, he stated, “And like everyone else, you have to have the right to earn the minutes.”
Partey demonstrated potential in his brief appearance, helping Arsenal dominate the game despite his extended absence.
In the first thirteen minutes, goals by Kai Havertz, Gabriel Martinelli, and Martin Odegaard gave the Gunners a 3-0 advantage.
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At halftime, Arsenal led 5-0 thanks to goals from Declan Rice, Ben White, Jayden Bogle’s own goal, and other goals.
Arsenal moved to within two points of leaders Liverpool with the convincing win, keeping them in the running for the championship. Sheffield United, on the other hand, is still fighting to get out of the relegation zone and is stuck at the bottom of the standings.
Arsenal, who are trying to win the Premier League for the first time in more than 20 years and are still in the running for the Champions League despite losing their round of 16 match against FC Porto in Portugal, would benefit greatly from Partey’s timely comeback.