In their disappointing 1-0 loss to Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League semi-final, former defender Matthew Upson analyzed Bukayo Saka's performance. Upson attributed Saka's struggle to receive the ball to the absence of Thomas Partey, emphasizing that the midfielder's suspension disrupted the team's usual balance and flow. He noted that without Partey, the other midfielders had to adjust their roles, affecting their ability to effectively supply Saka. While Arsenal's aggregate score leaves room for a comeback, the loss of key players, including Partey, poses challenges for the upcoming match.
You could look at Thomas Partey not being there as a reason as to why [Bukayo] Saka wasn't getting the ball. I don't want to go too deep into why Partey is important but it was more the balance. Playing with a different type of feel and balance can disrupt the way you feed those key players the ball.
Upson feels that Partey not playing had a knock-on effect on basically the whole team, as it meant the other midfielders will have been in slightly different roles than usual.
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