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As Thomas Partey trudged off the pitch at Old Trafford in early December 2021, most Arsenal fans would be lying if they said they hadn't been expecting more.

The Ghanaian's dramatic deadline arrival and subsequent masterclass at that very same venue in 2020 had sent imaginations into overdrive. After years outside the Champions League, suddenly the pathway back to the top seemed clear for the Gunners and Partey was the man to bring it to them.

Sadly though it wasn't to be. Injuries and poor form meant that Partey's first season in North London was something of a damp squib, and a failure to improve things in the early part of this campaign meant that by his own admission his first 14 months at the Emirates could only be rated as "a four out of 10".

Just over three months down the line though, the 28-year-old is a totally different player. Sunday's win over Leicester probably ranked top of his ever growing list of recent masterclasses in a Gunners shirt, with a rare goal meaning that the beaming smile that instantly endeared him to Arsenal fans back in October of 2020 was fully back on display. So what has changed?

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Well an obvious place to start would appear to be the role he plays in Mikel Arteta's system. That early breakneck, box-to-box bonanza against United had