Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta was delighted for midfielder Thomas Partey after he scored his maiden club goal during the 3-1 Premier League win over Aston Villa.
The Gunners went into the game last night after back-to-back draws. They produced a strong performance over 90 minutes to return to winning ways.
Partey opened the scoring with a flicked header from a corner in the 23rd minute. Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang doubled the advantage from the penalty spot before the break.
Emile Smith Rowe made it 3-0 for the Gunners in the 56th minute before Villa’s late consolation goal through Jacob Ramsey, who curled his effort into the top right corner of the net.
Partey regularly won the first ball against Villa from corners. He could have quite easily scored more than once. The Ghanaian hit the woodwork early on before he bagged his debut goal.
The 28-year-old had an impressive all-round display with three tackles and two clearances while winning seven aerial and ground duels, but Arteta was particularly delighted with his goal.
He said via Arsenal.com: “Yes because he’s be chasing it for a long time, and he could have scored another two to be fair.”
“I’m very happy for him, I think he enjoyed that moment in front of our supporters and I’m happy for him.”
The £36m-rated star has had a mixed career with the Gunners thus far, having struggled with injuries that have hampered his playing time and form over the past 12 months.
However, he appears to be coming into his own in recent weeks. He was partly responsible for Crystal Palace’s opening goal on Monday, but made amends against the Villans.
The midfielder has had plenty of long-range shots for the Gunners that have been far off-target, but there was a different side of him yesterday as he showed his presence in the box.
Partey netted his first goal for the Gunners in his 40th appearance, and Arteta will be hoping that he can make more goal contributions going forward for the north London club.
The Gunners returned to the top half of the table with three points last night. They are ninth in the standings, only goal difference behind three teams, who have one game in hand.
