Thomas Partey Gives Mikel Arteta Fresh Headache Amid Arsenal’s Title Bid

• Thomas Partey’s season has been plagued with injuries
• The Ghanaian returned for Arsenal against Sheffield United
• But Mikel Arteta is unsure whether Partey can retain his place

Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta sent a subtle warning to Ghanaian midfielder Thomas Partey after the Gunners’ emphatic 6-0 win over Sheffield United.

Partey handed Arsenal’s midfield a significant boost as he returned to football action on Monday, March 4. It was his first competitive game since October 2023.

After a series of groin and knee issues, the 30-year-old showed glimpses of promise as he featured for 25 minutes at Bramall Lane.

His return however provides a fresh headache for Arteta, whose side is just starting to find their rhythm amid a tight title race.

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In Partey’s absence, the Arsenal boss has had to make adjustments to his side, and they have learnt to cope without the services of the former Atletico Madrid man.

Arteta’s most tried-and-tested method has involved deploying a midfield trio of Declan Rice, Martin Odegaard and Kai Havertz.

With Partey’s return, however, Arteta sent a subtle message to the Ghana international about his place in the squad

Arteta’s message to Partey

With Arsenal just two points off the top spot in the Premier League, it may not be a good time for Arteta to tweak or experiment with a working system, and he seems to know this very well.

After the win over Sheffield United, the Arsenal boss seemed to suggest that Partey would have to fight for his place in the team’s squad.

"Today obviously Thomas is available now to play a certain number of minutes. He needs to build that, because it was his first minutes after four months which is a long time," Arteta said, per The Mirror.

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He added, "And then, like everybody, you need to have the right to earn the minutes. We believe that today [the starting line-up] was the best option, at least to start the game.’

What next for Partey?

Partey missed his country's 2022 Africa Cup of Nations campaign as he was nursing an injury as the Black Stars of Ghana crashed out of the competition in the group stages. Hosts Ivory Coast went on to win their fourth title, as reported on beIN Sports.

After getting some minutes against Sheffield United, Partey will be hoping Arteta trusts him again on Saturday when the Gunners face Brentford at the Emirates.

After the London derby against the Bees, Arsenal have a must-win clash against FC Porto in the Champions League three days later.

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After the Porto game, the Gunners’ next game will be against Manchester City on March 31.

This all has to do with the FA Cup fixture schedule, as several Premier League teams are still in the competition.