Arsenal lost their second consecutive game in the Premier League as they went down 1-0 at Villa Park on Saturday. One of the talking points of the day was the injury to Thomas Partey and after the game, Arteta gave Sky Sports an update on the midfielderโs situation.
A defensive mix-up in the second minute of the game allowed Villa to take the lead and they protected it until the end. Despite the best efforts of the visitorsโ attack, they could not get past former Gunner Emi Martinez.
When asked about the performance, the boss said that they deserved to get the win. In the second half there were a few chances that came the way of the North Londoners, but they couldnโt take advantage of them.
One worry from this game was that Thomas Partey had to be taken off after he went down with an injury. Arteta was asked about the condition of the Ghanaian midfielder after the game and this is what he told Sky Sports:
“He[Partey] had a muscular issue, so we had to take him off. He could not carry on playing. We will see the extent of the injury. He wasn’t feeling well enough to continue playing so we had to take him off.
“It was a really strong performance again today. We completely dominated the game, we dominated every department and we should have won the game.”
This was particularly concerning because it could be a repeat of the same injury that side-lined him earlier in the season. He has grown into one of the most important members of the team and his quality will be missed. The Emirates club will have to find another solution to deal with his absence, which they will be hoping is a short one.
Arsenal have a week to regroup and think about what needs to be done to turn this season around. They will next be up against Leeds United and that is not going to be an easy game. Marcelo Bielsaโs men play high-speed attacking football at an intensity that the Gunners will find difficult to handle. But if they are able to get the three points next week, that will give them a huge boost of confidence going forward.
