Thomas Partey will be hoping he can lift the Europa League this season with Arsenal which would be his first piece of silverware at the club since moving there last summer. The Premier League side had no problems advancing through to the last 32 of the European competition and with the likes of Partey, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Alexandre Lacazette in their squad, the Gunners have the firepower to go all the way.
Partey started his first match for Arsenal in the Europa League in a 2-1 victory away to Rapid Wien. He has since struggled with a thigh injury, limiting the amount of football he has played for the North London club. Given those issues, Arsenal fans have yet to see the best of the Ghanaian footballer. When he signed for the English team last summer, he vowed to try and help them return to being one of the biggest clubs in Europe once again.
Arsenal are amongst the favorites for this season’s European competition. They have Europa League odds of 13.00, but they will encounter tough competition along the way as Tottenham, Manchester United, Milan and Leicester City are all around or above them in the outright market.
Lifted The Trophy With Atletico In 2018
Partey has already won the competition as Atletico dominated the field after dropping down from the Champions League and convincingly dispatched Marseille 3-0 in the 2018 final. Atletico went on to prevail in the UEFA Super Cup just a few months later. They defeated local rivals and Champions League winners Real Madrid 4-2 in an entertaining fixture.
The two-time Ghana Player of the Year will be hoping he can win more major European honors with Arsenal. At the age of 27, Partey is in the peak stages of his career so a lot will be expected from the most expensive Ghanaian player of all time.
Arsenal last won a European trophy in 1994 when they lifted the UEFA Cup Winners’ Cup. They did reach the final of the Europa League in 2019 but were beaten in the final by Chelsea.
Europa League Best Chance Of Qualifying For Champions League
As well as winning a major trophy, the Europa League is going to be an important competition for Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta as it may prove to be his best chance of qualifying into the Champions League next season.
At the time of writing, the Gunners are still recovering from a poor start. Their form has improved over the last few weeks, however, they need to finish the season strongly if they are to finish in one of those Champions League spaces.
Partey will be keen to return to the Champions League in the near future with Arsenal. He had a number of successful years in the competition for Atletico Madrid, including in 2016 when they reached the final, losing to Real Madrid on penalties.
The Europa League returns next month when Partey’s Arsenal take on Benfica in the last 32, with the opening leg taking place at the Estadio da Luz in Portugal.