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Arsenal fans took to X to express their frustration as Mikel Arteta named his starting lineup to face Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) in the Champions League. Gunners supporters were concerned with the inclusion of midfielder Thomas Partey for their clash at the Emirates on Monday, October 1.
One fan wondered if the Ghanaian had the fitness to be played this regularly, typing:
"Don’t know if Partey can play so many games!"
Here are some fan reactions:
One supporter expressed hope that summer signing Mikel Merino would feature at some point, tweeting:
"I hate seeing the lineup wen partey is playin. Merino better get some mins today"
Another supporter insisted that his deficiencies could come to the fore against a quality opponent like PSG, suggesting:
"Not looking forward to this Partey cameo ngl I would’ve played jorghino. The spaces he was giving vs Leicester no way psg quality let it go unpunished."
The hectic start to the 2024-25 campaign continues as Arsenal prepare to face Les Parisien in their second game of the Champions League. They began the tournament with a goalless draw against Atalanta while PSG beat Girona 1-0.
Depth in midfield has been a cause of concern for the Gunners to start the season. Star midfielder Martin Odegaard is expected to miss a considerable amount of time while summer signing Mikel Merino also suffered an injury after joining the side. The Spaniard, however, returned to training ahead of the clash.
Mikel Arteta pinpoints one Arsenal star's improvement
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta singled out centre-back Gabriel Magalhaes for praise leading up to the side's UCL clash against Paris Saint-Germain. He said to the press via Caught Offside:
"The way he was perceived when he arrived, obviously the language was a barrier…he didn’t have the environment, he didn’t have the family that he’s got today. He’s made a lot of right decisions.
“He’s proved to everybody how committed he is to the team and to the club. Then obviously his performances are undeniable, that have taken him to a different level, in terms of the standards we set in the team, especially in the way that we have to defend.”
Apart from forming a strong partnership in central defense alongside William Saliba, he has also developed into a goal threat from corners. He scored key goals against Manchester City and Tottenham Hotspur this season.
Gabriel joined Arsenal in the summer of 2020 from Ligue 1 side Lille for a reported fee of £27 million. He helped the side keep 15 clean sheets in the Premier League last season. They have three in six games so far this season.
