Arsenal legend Thierry Henry believes Ghana’s Thomas Partey has been of great benefit to coach Mikel Arteta’s tactics at the club.
Arsenal’s transformation under Arteta comes after years of changing the identity of the club under Arsene Wenger.
Although the club has invested massively to bring in new players, Henry admits that Partey, who joined the club for £45 million, has exceeded expectations, showcasing versatility beyond defensive duties.
With his new role in the team, Henry noted that Partey now has support from full-backs to focus on forward play.
Speaking on the Seaman Says Podcast, Henry said, “Oh [Thomas] Partey is the good player now? Instead of trying to stop the counter alone, he has a fullback on his right and a fullback on his left, so now he can concentrate on what’s in front of him.
“And obviously, the way it finished, people were like, but there was a system and position to make sure that when you’re on the ball, you don’t concede a counter.
“Obviously, the way it finished, it finished but yeah, there are a lot of similarities [between Pep Guardiola and Mikel Arteta].”
This season, Partey has often been deployed as a right-back in Arsenal’s two games against Nottingham Forest and Crystal Palace.