Thomas Partey’s influence on games remains undeniable, but there are increasing moments when he appears to be off the pace. Arsenal’s squad is filled with players either in their prime or rapidly approaching it, like Declan Rice, Martin Odegaard, and Kai Havertz, all 25 years old and on the brink of their best years. Younger stars such as Bukayo Saka, Gabriel Martinelli, William Saliba, and Jurrien Timber, aged 22 or 23, have bright futures ahead of them.

The club’s vision is for these players to grow and develop together, reaching their peaks in a collective surge of talent. This shared journey is a key aspect of Arsenal’s recent resurgence, and any player not fitting into this age bracket increasingly stands out as an outlier.

For Jorginho, 32, his experience and wisdom add value to the club, almost serving as a player-coach who guides his teammates through games. However, for Partey, the only other player over 30 in Mikel Arteta’s squad, it feels like Arsenal might be moving in one direction while he moves in another. As most of Arsenal’s players enter their prime, Partey needs to prove he isn’t exiting his.

In Arsenal’s match against Wolves last Saturday, Partey delivered flashes of his game-controlling brilliance from midfield, reminiscent of his standout performances in the first half of the 2022/23 season, when he was arguably the Premier League’s top central midfielder. Yet, there were also worrying moments when he looked alarmingly off the pace.