When Thomas Partey returns from injury, Arsenal will know what to expect thanks to Kevin De Bruyne’s heroics at Newcastle.
On Saturday, Kevin De Bruyne made a comeback for Manchester City, helping to improve the team’s score against Newcastle with a goal and an assist. Pep Guardiola Arsenal was hoping that their championship opponents would drop points, but the Belgian finally crushed those ambitions. Arsenal now needs to defeat Crystal Palace in order to draw level with them again, and they won’t be playing until the next weekend.
Guardiola praised Kevin as a legend after his valiant actions on Tyneside. “He is well-liked by our community and, ideally, he will be able to support us through the final months.”
We require athletes such as Kevin. In the latter third, we need him to do something exceptional. That is talent, individual talent, not tactical competence.
De Bruyne’s homecoming, though, need not be interpreted negatively for the Gunners; rather, it serves as a reminder of the potential benefits a team can reap when a crucial player returns. Arsenal themselves have been missing one of their most key players for the majority of the season.
Thomas Partey has gone from being the most available season to having the least accessible after playing more than 30 Premier League games the previous season as the Gunners attempted to win a first in almost 20 years. He has only made four appearances in the league and had surgery, which is hopefully going to allow him to play again later this month.
Partey gave an explanation of his decision to skip Ghana’s African Cup of Nations match, according to Mikel Arteta. He lowered his hopes for a speedy recovery, though, and anticipated to be absent for only a few weeks.