With two stunning free-kicks, Arsenal midfielder Declan Rice understandably stole the headlines after the Gunners’ 3-0 win over Real Madrid on Tuesday night.
But, was it the performance of another midfielder that actually had just as much of an impact?
Thomas Partey’s commanding of the middle of the park may have gone unnoticed among the furore of his midfield partner’s double set-piece heroics.
But the numbers around the 31-year-old’s night at the Emirates are impressive.
Partey’s stats ranked him in the top two of Arsenal players in almost all of the key metrics against Real Madrid:
The Ghana international was second for most touches of any Gunners player, with 76 (defender William Saliba came top with 91).
He also had the second most number of passes with 76 (Saliba top with 91), and was second for number of accurate passes – 61 to Saliba’s 80.
Other standout statistics included:
Being able to keep a clean sheet against the powerhouse of Real Madrid’s forward line and midfield is arguably as important in the context of the tie as the goals from Rice and Mikel Merino.
Partey providing solid defensive cover in that midfield area also gave the freedom for Rice to foray further forwards and help build up the Arsenal attack.
He has quietly gone about his business this campaign for Mikel Arteta, having played 44 games across all competitions and chipped in with three goals and two assists.
When considering this consistent and solid presence in the team, it is therefore somewhat puzzling that Partey is set to become a free-agent in the summer when his contract runs out.
It is this experience that is sometimes the hardest to replace in a team.
So, what do you think, Arsenal fans?
Should the Gunners be renewing Partey’s contract or have they already seen the best of him?
Let us know
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