It's time to END the Partey right back experiment

Mikel Arteta needs to stop keeping Gabriel out by using Thomas Partey in defence

Since being appointed as Arsenal manager in December 2019, Mikel Arteta has been known to experiment with his team both on and off the pitch. The Amazon Original All or Nothing: Arsenal documentary showed fans that the Spaniard has a very unique way of motivating his side. From blasting “You’ll Never Walk Alone” in training ahead of a match at Anfield to his famous lightbulb speech, Arteta has proven that he likes to do things differently from other managers. However, not all of his experiments with the Gunners have been successful, with Thomas Partey playing at right back being one of them.

Partey has started all three of Arsenal’s Premier League matches so far at right back. This has allowed Kai Havertz to start in midfield along with Declan Rice, but has also prevented Gabriel Magalhaes from starting any of the three matches. The Ghanaian playing in defence has disrupted the whole ability and consistency of the team. For starters, Partey’s best position is in the midfield where he would play alongside Rice. In his three seasons with Arsenal, he has consistently performed at the top level whilst playing in his comfortable position.

Ben White has also been affected by this change. Having played very well at right back for practically the whole of last season, it is a strange decision to switch him back to the centre. Similarly to Partey, White’s ability is weakened by him not being in his strongest position for this side. Some would argue that William Saliba being shifted to left centre back is damaging to him, but whilst it could affect him ever so slightly, his quality is high enough to deal with this small change.

It seems that Partey’s change in position has been mainly to accommodate Kai Havertz in the midfield. This is a difficult decision to fight as whilst the German has not been performing particularly well, it would be difficult to bench him when the club splashed £65,000,000 to bring him in. Taking into account both his poor performances and the team’s disappointing form, it would seem wise to bench him for now.

Above all of these factors, Gabriel Magalhaes seems to be the biggest miss within the Arsenal team. He has been such a dominant presence in the Gunners’ defence since joining in 2020 and prior to being benched against Nottingham Forest, had made seventy-three consecutive starts for the club. Despite Gabriel being linked with a move to Saudi Arabia, Arteta has reassured fans that there is ‘nothing going on’ with the transfer so his omittance from the eleven must be purely tactical. The Gunners have only kept one clean sheet in their first three matches and have conceded only when Gabriel has not been on the pitch. His apparent promotion to vice-captain over pre-season also acts as a point to Arteta that he needs to be starting matches.

It’s important to note that managers should experiment with their teams, but it is also unnecessary to try fix something that is not broken. Thomas Partey had played at right back during his time with Atletico Madrid and had moved into the position late on in Arsenal matches but it is clear that the experiment needs to end. Gabriel needs to return to the starting eleven, with Ben White back to right back and Partey in his natural position. For the time being, Havertz should be benched.