First half was really bad but 2nd half he absolutely dominated the half

Looked like he'd been instructed to hold back but it meant our midfield was pretty ineffective in the first half as Jorginho also didn't venture forward. So we were on the back-foot when needing to press and lacking in options when in attack.

Looked much better with Partey in the second half. They'll be dominant together.

I wonder how well Partey and Rice can play together. It would be great if it could work out, and could see how their skillsets complement each other to some degree, but they're both #6s to me.

    CPM If Arteta can't get a midfield of Rice, Partly and Odegaard working then he's got no business being our manager (and I think he will for the record)

      haven't seen such sweet interceptions since paddy v's pomp

      CPM

      ———————Odegaard
      —————Rice————-Partey
      Zinchenko———————————White
      ——————Gabriel—-Saliba
      —————————Raya

      That’s the formation plus a front three

          lorddulaarsenal you just need to give one of Rice and Partey licence to break out from midfield and join the attack. Its something Rice did well at WHU and it still leaves Partey offering everything he did last season.

            Everything qwiss said plus swap zinny for tomi

            Eventually Zinchenko/White will be alternating with Jurrien.

            lorddulaarsenal Rice has a lot of responsibility for bombing forward in that set-up though. Maybe he has that in his locker by this time next season, but I think that lineup could lead to some seriously clunky football right now, and make it difficult for us to get enough numbers forward. It's definitely worth a try though.

                CPM not necessarily - I think he’d allow Zinchenko or Tomi to get forward more. We tend to create more chances when we get our fullbacks and wide forwards working in tandem. We don’t create through the middle in the way Wenger’s teams would. Even Odegaard drifts out wide to link with Saka a lot.

                • CPM likes this.

                  I could see that, although that puts a lot of emphasis on Zinchenko and gives him a lot of space to cover. And I think part of Arteta's idea with Havertz was his late runs into the box – if we're creating from wide we need men in the middle to finish chances. Don't see Rice (or Zinchenko) doing that with aplomb quite yet.

                  But let's give it a try... on an individual basis there's a lot to like in a Rice-Partey-Ødegaard midfield. Crazy how much we miss Xhaka.

                  lorddulaarsenal I'll see you and raise you:

                  Martinelli—————Jesus—————Saka
                  ————————Odegaard
                  ———Tomiyasu——Rice———-Partey
                  Gabriel————Raya—-Saliba———White

                    Coombs

                    From all the midfielders that moved this summer across the PL, I bet no more than 1 player betters Xhaka's 14 g/a from midfield last season. Albeit, playing 6 games more, Xhaka had better numbers from midfield than Gundogan.

                    Rice is better than Havertz to partner Partey and gives us far more defensively, but he's not going to score or assist many goals.

                        daredevil Rice is better than Havertz to partner Partey and gives us far more defensively, but he's not going to score or assist many goals.

                        Playing (dare)devil's advocate, wouldn't people have said that about Xhaka before last season?

                          daredevil The little minutes I saw from Rice there, I saw something, a few good moments with him and Martinelli, I feel he will score a few.