{"id":11751,"date":"2022-09-12T23:27:48","date_gmt":"2022-09-12T22:27:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/praizsports.com\/thomas-parteys-pain-is-sambi-lokongas-gain\/"},"modified":"2022-09-12T23:27:48","modified_gmt":"2022-09-12T22:27:48","slug":"thomas-parteys-pain-is-sambi-lokongas-gain","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/praizsports.com\/thomas-parteys-pain-is-sambi-lokongas-gain\/","title":{"rendered":"Thomas Partey’s pain is Sambi Lokonga’s gain"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Right from the start of the transfer window, Arsenal fans were clamouring for Mikel Arteta to urgently bring in a strong backup for Thomas Partey, who has contunally suffered from injuries for the last two seasons. But instead the Gunners gave a one-year extension to Elneny\u2019s contract and kept the inexperienced youngster Sambi Lokonga as extra backup.<\/p>

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That strategy spectacularly backfired when Mo Elneny suffered a long term injury, and unsurprisingly Thomas only managed three games into the season before suffering a reoccurence of his ongoing injury problems. This resulted in Arsenal making a last-minute panic bid to sign Douglas Luiz from Aston Villa in the last couple of days of the transfer window, which was ultimately unsuccessful.<\/p>

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So, we currently only have Xhaka and Lokonga, with the (also injured) Zinchenko as cover for those two, and we have now seen Lokonga make 3 starts (plus 2 subs appearances) and despite fans\u2019 misgivings, the young Belgian has not played too badly, and will surely improve with more regular playing time.<\/p>

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The ex-Arsenal striker Kevin Campbell, who always keeps up with the Arsenal live scores if he can\u2019t watch Arsenal\u2019s games, certainly thinks that Lokonga will improve. \u201cHe\u2019s probably not where he needs to be in his development because he probably needs more game time,\u201d said Campbell in the Highbury Squad podcast. \u201cHe\u2019s only played three games this season. If Partey\u2019s fit, then he\u2019s out of the team and he\u2019s probably only going to get starts in the Europa League. So, Sambi isn\u2019t probably where he (should be). <\/p>\n

\u201cDo you remember in the documentary where he was bleating about not playing and stuff? Then, Eddie (Nketiah) turned around and said \u2018well, I am not playing, so you shut up and don\u2019t moan\u2019. <\/p>\n

\u201cBut it\u2019s because he wants to play. He\u2019s a young man who is used to playing. Is he where he should be in his development? Probably not because he needs game time. I think he has done pretty well in that midfield area, considering he doesn\u2019t play. He\u2019s more progressive than Elneny.\u201d <\/p>\n

So, what do Arsenal fans think? Obviously Arteta and Edu expected Lokonga to step up in the future when they paid Belgian side Anderlecht \u00a317 million for him last summer, and at only 22 he has lots of time to develop further.<\/p>\n

I fully expect him to start against PSV on Thursday to carry on his regular game time, and hopefully he can impress Arteta well enough this season to prove to Arteta that he doesn\u2019t need to bring in another midfielder in January, even if Partey doesn\u2019t really recover\u2026<\/p>\n

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