Former Arsenal ace Jay Bothroyd did not hold back on Thomas Partey with his Twitter reaction to the central midfielder earning two yellow cards in the space of three minutes and being sent off in this evening’s League Cup semi-final tie against Liverpool.
Partey was drafted into the matchday squad with the Gunners short-staffed in midfield due to Granit Xhaka’s sending off in the first leg, despite the ace only being in action for Ghana at the Africa Cup of Nations 48 hours before.
The heartache piled on for the 28-year-old just when you thought it couldn’t get worse than his nation embarrassingly falling out of AFCON at the group stages, but the blame lied firmly on Partey’s shoulders tonight.
Mikel Arteta called Partey onto the pitch in the 74th minute, with the former Atletico Madrid star earning himself a yellow card in the 84th minute and a second to strike his marching orders just three minutes later.
The referee had an easy decision in brandishing a second card to the midfielder after he recklessly dove in on Fabinho in a wayward attempt at winning a 50/50 duel, studs were planted into the Liverpool man’s ankle.
Bothroyd took to Twitter to label Partey ‘just dumb’ for his quick-fire fouls, adding that it was the ‘same old’ case of Arsenal ‘capitulating’ this evening as they lost 2-0 to a Liverpool side without Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane, and who started a youngster in Kaide Gordon.
Liverpool without there 2 best players have schooled us away from home. First 10 mins I thought okay then we can win this!! But same old Arsenal just capitulate!
Partey is just dumb!!! An experienced player diving into challenges on a yellow!!!
14 red cards under Arteta now ?— Jay bothroyd (@jaybothroyd) January 20, 2022
Bothroyd was a promising talent in the Arsenal academy but was banished to Coventry for a fee of £1m at the age of 18, per the Guardian, after he threw his shirt at the legendary Don Howe in response to being subbed off in a youth fixture, as reported by BBC Sport.
Partey’s disastrous cameo extended it to 14 red cards for Arsenal since Mikel Arteta took charge, six more than any other Premier League side over that same period. The Gunners can’t help but throw games away for themselves and thrust the squad into positional dilemmas.