Thomas Partey’s significance to Arsenal cannot be understated. His ability to resist press, coupled with his world-class progressive passes and mostly elite positioning, highlight why he’s among the best in his position globally. A major reason for our recent underperformance is the absence of such a quality number 6.

Now, besides the fact that the had that obvious black cloud over his head, another reason why I wanted him shipped out was because you just can’t rely on him to finish a full season. While we’re fortunate to have Rice and remain undefeated against the top 6 in Partey’s absence, it’s becoming clear we need to start thinking of a long-term replacement. Some friends and I even discussed an unconventional plan: hoping for Partey to sustain an injury by late November, miss AFCON in January, and then recover by March. That’s a crazy way to plan a season.