Arsenal boss Arteta hails best afield Partey for victory at Rapid Vienna | OneFootball

Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta hailed the performance of Thomas Partey after their Europa League defeat of Rapid Vienna.

The Ghanaian international shone on Thursday night in the Europa League as the Gunners came from a goal down to win 2-1 in Austria.

David Luiz and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang got the goals, but it was Partey who stole the show in the middle of the park.

“To be fair he looked really solid, really comfortable," said Arteta.

“I think he held the midfield by himself in the second half as well when we were a little bit more open and we started to take more chances attacking certain spaces with some players.

"But I think he was fantastic tonight and there is much more to come from him obviously."

Arsenal are next in action on Sunday when they welcome Leicester City to Emirates Stadium in the Premier League.

Partey will hope to start that match after excelling against Vienna and Arteta is wary of the pressure now being placed on his new midfielder's shoulders.

“Yes of course, but he needs his team-mates around him. It's not about him," he said.

“Obviously we know that with the price that we paid for him and the profile that he has, he is going to have a lot of people looking at him in every single game.

“But it's about the structure we have as a team, the flow, the unity and the cohesion that we need in our team and he is one piece of that. Hopefully he is a big piece."