Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has praised Thomas Partey for his performance despite the team’s narrow 1-0 defeat against Newcastle United.
The match, held at St. James’ Park, saw Alexander Isak score the only goal following a cross from Anthony Gordon.
Partey started the game at right-back but was later moved to midfield after Oleksandr Zinchenko and Ethan Nwaneri were brought on in the second half.
While some fans criticized Arteta’s tactical decisions and questioned Partey’s effectiveness, the Spanish manager defended the 30-year-old.
He stated that he did not believe Partey struggled significantly in his unfamiliar role.
“I’ll need to make that assessment once I have more clarity about where he struggled, but I don’t have the impression he struggled much.
“Every time we have that situation with Thomas playing a different position, it’s because we don’t have another right-back at the moment.
“We’re always going to have that debate, and Thomas is fantastic,” he added.
Arsenal will be looking to bounce back when they face Inter Milan at the San Siro on Wednesday night, followed by a trip to Stamford Bridge to take on Chelsea on Sunday.
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