Mikel Arteta delivered the damning news about Thomas Partey ahead of the match with Southampton in his pre-match press conference. The Ghanaian appears set to miss the rest of the season.
Combined with Arsenal losing both their starting full-backs with Kieran Tierney also not expected to return and Takehiro Tomiyasu still out, the outlook is bleak. What had begun as a revitalised season of hope, has quickly diminished in the past two weeks.
Speaking at London Colney Arteta, he explained that the midfielder would be trying to get back as quickly as possible. However, it was evident that hope of a surprising return was not looking great.
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“Yes, the news that we got after a lot of assessments is not great. It’s not looking very positive for his availability this season, but we’ll have to wait and see because he’s trying to get back as quickly as possible, but at the moment we are not very optimistic about it,” Arteta said.
The news was not a surprise regarding the severity, with the Spaniard sounding concerned when covering the topic earlier this season. However, knowing the possibility that Arsenal fans may not see Partey feature again this season is a massive blow.
Partey has been arguably the best player for Arsenal in 2022. His performances in midfield have been critical to the way Arteta wants his team to push the ball forwards, dominate possession and recover the control quickly when the opposition attack.
In response to the news, the Arsenal fans went as far as to say it was not only the end of Partey’s season, but the club’s as well. Clearly not willing to see his replacements as enough to push the Gunners towards a top-four finish.
@afcnick__: Top 4 done
@takeshi_afc: Well that’s it then
@AbdiladivO: Top 4 done, we’re not making the ucl nxt season
@d_prince_victor: Season is over. Except Tomi comes back. Then Cedric goes in place of Tierney. Xhaka back in midfield. That's our only hope
@AFC_Ed4: Season overrrr
@quadri_tosi: The season looks over…
@cool_abdul9: Another season of no Champions league football then.
@arsenal_xtra: Top 4 is gone. Unless Spurs have a dramatic fall or unreal set of injuries
@YegaDonSmith: Top 4 gone
The mood is at a serious low point, that much is clear. The fans are in a state of frustration having looked so strong going into the final months of the season with games in hand and a points advantage.
However, the defeats to Crystal Palace and Brighton have severely dented that confidence, in some cases it has completed extinguished it. The Southampton clash tomorrow (Saturday) has become a huge game, even though it was already.
Arsenal need to treat their final eight games as a cup run. With success under Mikel Arteta in the FA Cup, there is an experience of victory when looking at games individually. With Chelsea to come after the Saints clash, a result similar to the 2020 final would be a welcome outcome.
