Thomas Partey, the Ghanaian Arsenal midfielder, came under fire for his “horrendous” tracking of Kevin de Bruyne’s run during Manchester City’s first goal at the Etihad on Wednesday evening. Arsenal reporter Charles Watts blasted Partey’s performance, claiming it was “embarrassing” and part of a string of lacklustre displays over the last four games. Yet, according to SofaScore, Partey’s performance was relatively solid, earning a player rating of 6.7/10, above the Arsenal average of 6.48/10. He may have given away possession on six occasions, made three fouls, and received a yellow card, but he also made two tackles, registered a key pass, won eight of his 13 duels, and even completed 100% of his attempted dribbles. Nevertheless, the criticism from Watts and others offers Partey an opportunity to reflect and come back stronger in his next match.
