Arsenal lost Thomas Partey in the 3-0 defeat to Crystal Palace. It was a moment which threatened to cost the Gunners their top-four hopes. The subsequent two matches against Brighton and Southampton saw the young Albert Sambi Lokonga come in but ultimately he failed to fulfil the shoes of the Ghanaian.
Mikel Arteta made a big decision in order to address Partey’s prolonged absence in the away trip to Chelsea. In a game where Arsenal were not expected to get anything, especially after three successive defeats, the Gunners came away with a 4-2 win with Mohamed Elneny putting in an excellent performance having been given the nod by the manager.
Arteta has stuck with Elneny despite plenty of doubts surrounding the Egyptian international. Elneny has been criticised for being too passive and sideways with his passing. However, Arteta has clearly been coaching the experienced midfielder to level up his game.
