Arsenal ended their 14-year wait to pick up a win against Manchester United at Old Trafford. Mikel Arteta’s side were brilliant on Sunday and deserved the win despite some late dominance from the hosts.
Almost every Arsenal player proved their worth. Gabriel Magalhaes was solid throughout, Mohamed Elneny surprised many with his quality, Hector Bellerin won the penalty and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang scored for the first time in the league since the opening game.
However, the best player on the pitch was Thomas Partey. The £45 million summer arrival from Atletico Madrid (BBC) proved his quality with an outstanding display at Old Trafford, and Roy Keane has been raving about him.
Keane: Partey can match Vieira
The Manchester United legend said he wished the Ghanaian played for his former side. He also claimed that Partey could match what Patrick Vieira did for Arsenal all those years ago, which has excited some Gunners supporters.
Keane told Sky Sports: “He (Partey) was outstanding. He’s obviously no mug having played in big games. When you watch a player live that’s when you can judge a player and the more I look at him the more I wish he was in the United midfield.
“He’s big, strong and aggressive – and he can pass it forward. He can deal with the ball. I had my battles with Vieira and I think this kid has got a chance of matching what Patrick used to do.”
Vieira is regarded by many as Arsenal’s greatest midfielder in the Premier League era. The Frenchman was a real leader, and he helped the Gunners win multiple trophies during his time at Highbury under Arsene Wenger.
Partey has all the qualities to replicate Vieira’s dominance in Arsenal’s midfield. The Ghanaian has won two Man of the Match awards in his first three starts for the club, and he will only get better as the season goes on.
Keane’s comments have come as a surprise to many Arsenal supporters. It is not every day that the Manchester United legend has nice things to say about a Gunners star, but fans were delighted with his comments.
Here is how a few Arsenal fans reacted on Twitter
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