Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has dismissed suggestions that Thomas Partey struggled in his role as a right-back during their recent Premier League loss to Newcastle United. The Ghanaian midfielder has been filling in as a defender due to Arsenal’s limited options at right-back, featuring in the position for two consecutive matches that have yielded only one point for the Gunners.

Arteta praised Partey’s adaptability and denied that the player faced significant challenges in the new role. “I’ll need to assess more to understand where he might have struggled, but I didn’t get the impression he struggled much,” Arteta explained. “We’ll always have this debate when Thomas plays outside his usual position because he’s fantastic, and we currently lack another right-back.”

Following the defeat at St. James’ Park, Arsenal has dropped from third to fifth in the Premier League standings. Partey is likely to start again midweek in the UEFA Champions League against Inter Milan, with the Gunners then gearing up for a London derby against Chelsea over the weekend.