Nigeria vs Ghana: Black Stars deputy captain Thomas Partey hits form for 2022 World Cup playoff

Published on: 01 March 2022
Nigeria vs Ghana: Black Stars deputy captain Thomas Partey hits form for 2022 World Cup playoff
Thomas Partey

Ghana deputy captain Thomas Partey has hit top form ahead of the Black Stars decisive 2022 World Cup playoff against arch rivals Nigeria this month, sparking concerns for the Super Eagles that the clash will not be a walk in the park.

The form of the Arsenal player and some of his Ghana international colleagues should be a major concern for Nigeria who are preparing for the two-legged match to decide one of the five countries to represent Africa at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.

The midfielder superstar has hit a rich vein of form that has resulted in him being named among four players nominated for the Player of the Month award by his English club Arsenal.

The 28-year-old was named on Monday night for the club's best player award for the month of February thanks to his excellent performances for the Gunners for the past four weeks.

Partey, who has been in excellent form against Wolves and against Brentford, has also been a great player for Arsenal last month.

With three consecutive victories in Premier League, the Gunners have been led in the middle of the field by Partey who is expected to marshall the Black Stars for the match against Nigeria.

Partey, who is a key player of the Black Stars, will be playing against Nigeria in the 2022 FIFA World Cup playoff this month.

With this form, Partey will cause problems for Nigeria when the two sides clash this month in Cape Coast and Abuja.

Ghana's current biggest footballer Partey has been demonstrating on the pitch why English giants Arsenal spent a whopping £45 million to sign him from Spanish side Atletico Madrid.

Partey, Arsenal's current top midfielder, has been in great form these past weeks and he is now showing why Arsenal spent the huge amount for his services.

This comes just three months after his own brutal verdict on himself following his move from Spain and he is now finally starting to complete Arsenal's turnaround following his move in October 2020.

The Ghana international had established himself as one of Europe's most consistent central midfielders but sustained multiple injuries and looking slightly off the pace during the recent Africa Cup of Nations.

Back in December following their clash with Manchester United,  the Ghana international himself acknowledged his lack of form following the defeat at Old Trafford.

"I give myself four [out of 10], because there are moments I can really hurt the other team but there are also moments where I allow myself to lose focus and that's when everything goes down," the Ghana deputy captain told Sky Sports after their clash with Manchester United.

"This is when you realise that you have to get better."

"I have to read more of the game. Now I am having a lot of continuous games, it is normal that some games, or some moments in the games, I will be down.

"With more games, with more confidence, I will be able to get to where I want to be."

Partey, who has been performing alongside Granit Xhaka at the heart of Arsenal's midfield, has grown from strength to strength since the defeat against Everton.

The gifted Ghanaian has been used as the key midfielder alongside Xhaka or as a lone defensive midfielder in a 4-3-3 configuration.

This demonstrates his exceptional defensive skills as well as his ability pass between the lines, which have allowed the Gunners seven of their nine Premier League matches.

 

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