Micah Richards makes team of the season claim on Arsenal's Thomas Partey

By Lee Connor

Micah Richards has been giving his thoughts on who is in the running for the PFA Player of the Season award as it stands.

Richards has been trying to whittle things down to a shortlist of six for the BBC. In his final list, he has gone with two Arsenal players in Bukayo Saka and Martin Odegaard. His ultimate winner, though, is Manchester City’s Erling Haaland, who has scored 27 goals already in the PL.

However, while he has picked two Arsenal players, Richards admitted that there was another name who could be in contention.

“Arsenal’s Thomas Partey could have been in there, and Brentford striker Ivan Toney had a shout too. Harry Kane keeps on scoring goals for Tottenham as well. Those three were very close,” Richards said.

Partey has been the anchor for Arsenal all season long and has missed a few crucial games through injury. The Ghanaian comes straight back in every time he’s had those injuries though, showing his importance to Mikel Arteta.

Arsenal came from behind to beat Bournemouth this weekend as Partey once again played a big role. Indeed, as Richards hints at, if it wasn’t for how good Saka and Odegaard have been, then he’d probably be in the mix.

TBR’s View: Partey is Arsenal’s main man in the middle

Without Thomas Partey, the likes of Odegaard and Saka don’t get the space and time to produce what they do.

It’s all part of being in Mikel Arteta’s well-oiled machine right now. Partey knows his role in the middle and he’s good enough to dominate on his best days. That then frees up the more attacking players to go and do the business.

Partey has been outstanding at times and Richards is right to mention him. If Arsenal do win the league, Partey will have been of huge importance.