BREAKING NEWS: Ian Wright, a legend of Arsenal, chastises a player for a lacklustre performance in a 2-0 victory over Wolves.

Arsenal kicked off their 2024-25 Premier League season with a 2-0 win against Wolverhampton Wanderers, but not everything went smoothly for the team. Despite the victory, former Arsenal legend Ian Wright was critical of one of Arsenal’s key players, Thomas Partey, for his performance during the match.

The game took place at the Emirates Stadium on Saturday, August 17. Arsenal started strong, with Kai Havertz scoring the first goal in the 25th minute. He headed the ball into the net after receiving a well-placed cross from Bukayo Saka. Following the goal, Wolves tried to bounce back and had a few chances to level the score. However, Arsenal’s goalkeeper, David Raya, made sure those opportunities did not turn into goals.

One of the key moments came in the 62nd minute when Thomas Partey made a significant error, giving Wolves’ player Rayan Ait-Nouri a chance to score. Fortunately for Arsenal, Ait-Nouri’s shot was off-target. Later, in the 74th minute, Bukayo Saka secured the win for Arsenal with a precise shot into the bottom-right corner, making it 2-0. Although Wolves showed some fight, especially in the second half, Arsenal’s defense held strong.

Despite Arsenal’s win, many fans were unhappy with Partey’s performance. Partey, who played the full 90 minutes as a central midfielder, struggled throughout the game. He lost four important duels and often seemed unsure when in possession of the ball. Fans took to social media to express their frustration, with one even calling Partey’s performance “awful.” Another fan sarcastically offered to pay someone to compile clips of Partey’s mistakes from the game. There were also calls for Arsenal to quickly find a replacement for him.

Now, let’s take a closer look at Arsenal’s overall performance in the match. The team had a strong start to their campaign and dominated possession, completing 357 passes with an accuracy rate of 85%. In comparison, Wolves completed 305 passes with an 82% accuracy rate. Arsenal also had more control of the game, holding the ball for 53% of the time, while Wolves had 47% possession.

When it came to attacking, Arsenal was clearly the better team. They took 18 shots, with six of those on target, and created more scoring opportunities. Wolves, on the other hand, managed only nine shots, with three on target. Additionally, Arsenal’s expected goals (xG) was 1.26, much higher than Wolves’ xG of 0.39, indicating that Arsenal was more likely to score based on the quality of their chances.

while Arsenal earned a well-deserved win to start their season, Thomas Partey’s performance left much to be desired, drawing criticism from fans and pundits alike. As Arsenal prepares for their next match against Aston Villa on August 24, there may be concerns about Partey’s form and whether the team needs to consider other options in midfield.