Arsenal star’s Champions League mistake ‘proved costly’ in PSG loss – Sturridge
Daniel Sturridge believes the absence of Thomas Partey “proved costly” in Arsenal’s Champions League defeat to Paris Saint-Germain.
PSG won 1-0 thanks to Ousmane Dembele’s fourth-minute strike and hold a decisive leading going into their semi-final second leg next Wednesday.
Arsenal have it all to do in the French capital and are pretty lucky they are only one goal down on aggregate.
Mikel Arteta was forced to make some changes to his starting XI due to the suspension to Partey, who picked up a needless yellow card in the Gunners’ quarter-final second leg against Real Madrid.
Makeshift striker Mikel Merino moved back to midfield and Declan Rice occupied a deeper role than usual, while Leandro Trossard started up front.
Trossard’s impact off the bench has been crucial for Arsenal, while Rice and Merino have thrived playing further up the pitch, so Partey’s absence had huge implications, and not just because he is a brilliant player.
The Ghanaian’s presence might have prevented Dembele’s winner as the Frenchman found himself wide open in an area Partey likely would have been.
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Former Liverpool and England striker Sturridge referred back to Partey’s booking in Madrid when analysing the goal and what went wrong for Arsenal on Tuesday.
“At the end of the day, I feel like the yellow card for Partey…it proved costly,” Sturridge said. “No Partey, no party for me.
“When you look at how they defended within the game, he brings solidity, he brings defensive awareness.
“I think Declan Rice on the ball tonight in phases was magnificent, driving forward with the ball.
“On the other side, [Mikel] Merino’s been playing false-nine, so it is a unique thing, changing that tactical awareness and going, ‘OK, I’m an attacker now, now I have to focus on those defensive possibilities that I need to worry about’.
“For me, they lacked that solidity in the midfield.”
With Partey back available for the second leg, former Arsenal forward Theo Walcott is confident Arteta’s side will be stronger in Paris.
He said: “The team now picks itself next week. I feel that element of playing a system and being used to a system and now all of a sudden it’s been torn apart by a decision.
“It’s really unusual to see Partey react that way, so for me it’s a big, big miss.”
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