‘Hasn’t been himself’… Pundit says £45m Arsenal player just hasn’t looked right this season

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Arsenal have started this season very well, but there is this feeling that they aren’t playing as fluently as they were last season.

The Gunners were one of the most exciting teams in England to watch last term, but, this season, while the results have been there, Mikel Arteta’s side haven’t been playing quite as well as they were last term.

A lot of that has been down to their midfield composition.

Granit Xhaka has left and Kai Havertz has come in, and it’s fair to say that hasn’t gone too well, while Thomas Partey hasn’t quite been as effective as he was last term.

Speaking on the Highbury Squad YouTube channel, Kevin Campbell has been discussing Partey and his showings this season, and he says the £45m man hasn’t been himself so far this term.

Partey hasn’t been himself

Campbell spoke about the midfielder and his showings this season.

“Thomas Partey, the general, he hasn’t been himself, he’s been injured, he’s spent loads of time out, and there’s the African Cup of Nations coming up, so we do need bodies in there,” Campbell said.

Difficult

Campbell is right, Partey hasn’t been the same player this season, but it’s hard to blame him.

He’s another year older with injury issues that have plagued him his entire career. He’s been shoved to right-back at certain points, while he’s lost his partner in crime in Granit Xhaka.

Partey worked so well in this Arsenal system last term, but the system has been rejigged and his game has once again changed as he’s been asked to play full-back or alongside a player like Declan Rice who doesn’t quite complement his style in the same way Xhaka did.

Partey isn’t quite the player he was last season, and that’s something Arsenal need to fix if they are to win the title.