Following Arsenal’s 1-1 draw against Brighton, club legend Ian Wright has voiced his frustration over the performance of midfielder Thomas Partey. Wright’s criticism comes in response to Partey’s perceived lack of effort during the build-up to Brighton’s equalizing goal.
The match, which saw Arsenal take an early lead, was heading towards a narrow victory for the Gunners. However, Brighton managed to level the score late in the game, capitalizing on a defensive lapse from Arsenal. The equalizer came In the second half, Joao Pedro sprinted away from Partey to score a well-deserved equaliser, and Wright was dissatisfied with the Ghanaian international, who was seen “jogging” back rather than racing to cover his defensive duties.
Speaking on Premier League Productions, Ian Wright did not mince words about Partey’s role in the goal. He highlighted the midfielder’s lack of urgency and commitment in tracking back, which allowed Brighton to exploit the space and score.
“You can’t be jogging back in such a crucial moment. It’s unacceptable at this level. Thomas Partey needs to show more responsibility and awareness in these situations,” Wright remarked.
“When you look at the play, you look at Thomas Partey…he[Pedro] literally run past him. Thomas Partey has to recognise in that instant he has to go all the way with Pedro and at least make a challenge. Pedro blasts past him and he’s just kind of jogging back.
“Those are the things that when you look back at that you’ll say well that could have been avoided. Maybe more pressure could’ve been put on Lewis Dunk cut that angle off and I think Partey’s got to cover Pedro.”
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