“Somebody has to step up” - Thomas Partey sends message to Arsenal teammates ahead of Liverpool clash
Arsenal midfielder Thomas Partey has sent a strong message to his teammates as they gear up for a run of important fixtures that will see them face Liverpool in Premier League action this weekend. The Ghanian star reckoned that the team must step up to face the challenges ahead.
It was a disappointing outing for Arsenal as they suffered a shocking 0-2 loss to Bournemouth in the Premier League on Saturday. An unfortunate red card to William Saliba for a foul on Edmilson turned the tide against the Gunners and they couldn't overturn it, losing all three points as a result.
It was the third time they played with 10 men in just eight games this season, hinting at issues with discipline on the pitch. With Saliba set to miss the clash with Liverpool on Sunday (October 27), Thomas Partey has called on his colleagues to step up in his absence.
"He’s a massive player who we are going to miss and somebody has to step up," the midfielder was quoted as saying by Metro. "We have good defenders and the coach knows what he is going to do to help the team and also, any player who is there has to step in and try to give their best."
Before facing Liverpool at the weekend, Arsenal will square off against Shakhtar Donetsk in the Champions League tomorrow (Tuesday, October 22).
Thomas Partey has called for focus on the game while urging his colleagues to learn from their recent setback.
"We have to first concentrate on our Champions League game [against Shakhtar Donetsk], try to win, and then move to the next game," he continued.
"But at the moment we have to learn from the mistakes, we have to try and stay with 11 men on the pitch. We are good when we have 11 on the pitch, we are also good with 10 men, but we cannot stay every game with 10 men so we have to continue working hard and try to stay 11 men on the pitch," the Ghanian added.
Thomas Partey has been one of the key players in Mikel Arteta's Arsenal this season. The midfielder has seen 831 minutes of game time, playing 10 games across all competitions and contributing one goal.
Highlighting Arsenal's recent Premier League results
The 0-2 loss to Bournemouth means that Arsenal have now failed to win two of their last five Premier League games. They played out a 2-2 draw with Manchester City but managed to beat the likes of Southampton, Leicester City, and Tottenham Hotspur, earning them a record of three wins, one draw and as many defeat.
The Gunners have bagged five victories, two draws and one defeat to their name in eight matches in the English top flight so far this season. That places them in the third spot in the table with 17 points - three points behind second-placed City and four adrift leaders Liverpool.
They will face the Reds in what promises to be an exhilarating encounter at the Emirates Stadium on Sunday, October 27. City, meanwhile, will go head-to-head with Southampton in their league outing at the Etihad Stadium on Saturday, October 26.