Nick Wright

Thomas Partey scored his first Arsenal goal as they claimed a 3-1 win over Aston Villa on Friday Night Football; Emile Smith Rowe and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang were also on target as Mikel Arteta’s side moved into the top half of the Premier League.

In a sometimes frenzied first half at the Emirates Stadium, when Arsenal were pouring forwards, challenges were flying in from both sides and tempers were fraying, Thomas Partey remained a figure of calm in the centre of the pitch.

Arsenal supporters are still getting to know the 28-year-old following a stop-start first season in England, most of which was played behind closed doors. But this was him at his unflappable best. This was the player the club have pinned so much hope on.

“He is a player who has to be one of the leaders, he has to be the boss in midfield,” said Mikel Arteta last month. He certainly did that here, excelling both in and out of possession and providing a platform for Arsenal’s attacking players to tear the visitors apart.

Arsenal racked up 14 shots before the break, their highest total in a single half under Arteta, and when Partey was not taking them himself – he hit the bar with one close-range effort shortly before his goal – he was starting the attacks from further back.

He was everywhere, in other words, and while his fruitless long-shooting has been a source of frustration for supporters, his long-awaited first goal for Arsenal, headed home from Emile Smith Rowe’s corner, showed a set-piece threat they will now hope to see more of.

It is his distribution, though, that stands out as his best quality and it was evident from the first few minutes of the game, when he slid an incisive pass between Matt Targett and Emiliano Buendia to release Bukayo Saka on the right-hand side of the Villa box.

His ability to break opposition lines is invaluable to Arteta but he does the simple things just as well. There were body feints to give himself a yard of space and clever touches to do the same for team-mates.

At the time of his goal, he had not misplaced a single pass. By the end, he had made more passes, had more touches and made more successful tackles than anyone else on the pitch.