Some Arsenal supporters have lambasted their head coach, Mikel Arteta, over reports that Ghanaian midfielder Thomas Partey might not be fit enough to play against Real Madrid in the second leg of the UEFA Champions League on April 16, 2025.
During Arsenal’s Premier League match against Brentford on April 12, 2025, Partey scored but was unfortunately equalized in the second half, resulting in a 1-1 draw.
In the course of the match, Partey was substituted, and manager Arteta confirmed that the player suffered a minor injury that would be examined by the medics.
“He felt something, so we didn’t want to take any risks,” he told reporters after the game.
This sparked outrage among Arsenal fans on social media, who were livid that the coach allowed the midfielder to play for so long before a crucial game against Real Madrid at the Santiago Bernabeu.
They argued that Partey was one of the best players who controlled the midfield in the first leg, which Arsenal won convincingly 3-0 at the Emirates on April 8, 2025.
They called on the team’s medical team and Arteta to ensure the midfielder recovers in time to play the second leg against Madrid; otherwise, they would blame the coach if the team get eliminated from the tournament.
Read some of the reactions below:
He was your best player in the first leg, so make sure he’s fit before Wednesday. You’ll need Thomas to either win or draw in Madrid to book a spot in the next stage of the UEFA Champions League.
— #FixTheCountry (@GHDeservesBest) April 13, 2025
Arteta acts strangely sometimes. Why was Partey in that match when we have a crucial match against Real Madrid. Better inject him and ensure he's available oshi
— TJ7 (@Justtunji1) April 12, 2025
He has to start in that game, no matter what( play with an injection if possible), when the game is safe, we can pull him off
— Jezza 🇿🇦🇩🇪🇪🇸 (@JezzaMaqasa) April 12, 2025
Arteta sometimes acts like a possessed man
Why was Partey kept in the game for that long knowing that real is in few days time
He is lucky he didn’t lose Declan as well— Unknown god 🇮🇹🏴💊 (@unknowngod002) April 12, 2025
