Ghana midfielder Thomas Partey returned to Arsenal’s starting line-up as the Gunners coasted to a 3-0 win against Brentford on Sunday.
Mikel Arteta’s side recaptured their position at the summit of the Premier League table following a comprehensive performance against the Bees.
First-half goals from William Saliba and Gabriel Jesus gave Arsenal the perfect start before Fabio Vieira added a third after the half-time break.
Partey, who has been sidelined for the last three weeks due to an injury, started in midfield and lasted 78 minutes before being replaced by Albert Sambi Lokonga.
The Ghanaian complained of pain in his thigh during the Gunners’ 2-1 Premier League victory against Fulham on August 27 and was substituted in the second half of the game.
He went on to miss matches against Aston Villa, Manchester United and the club’s Europa League opener against FC Zurich.
However, the midfielder returned to full training last week and was captured going through his paces with Arsenal’s other first-team players.
Despite Partey just returning from injury, Arteta put the midfielder straight back in the starting line-up and he repaid his manager’s faith with an impressive performance.
The former Atletico Madrid star helped the Gunners to dominate the midfield against Brentford by breaking the lines and setting off their forward play.
He also ended the game with the most touches (93) and completed the most passes (73) while also making seven recoveries.
