Former Arsenal player Lee Dixon has criticized Ghana midfielder Thomas Partey's performance in Arsenal's recent loss to Manchester City in the Premier League.
Speaking to NBC Sports, Dixon said that Partey "lost the plot" during the game and was unable to cope with the home side's attack.
Despite being a key player for Arsenal and providing the team with balance in previous games, Partey struggled to make an impact against City. Dixon commented that the midfielder needed help and should have been able to work out how to deal with the opposition.
However, Dixon also acknowledged that City are one of the world's best teams, making it difficult for any player to perform at their best.
“They also had a midfield player, an experienced midfield player who couldn’t work it out. Partey, he needed help. He needed somebody to go. And if you’re an experienced midfield player, you should be able to work out certain things.
“But you are playing one of the world’s best team. So it’s very difficult. I don’t want to be too critical of him. But he lost the plot. He wasn’t picking up, he was getting runners running off him.
"You might say he needed help. And possibly you might say that Arteta’s territory to say, ‘right, Xhaka, just go really tight and just plugs those holes and get City to play in front of you’. They were just playing on the back of Partey the whole of that first-half.”