Arsenal legend Ian Wright has labelled Thomas Partey’s error against Aston Villa as unforgivable.
The 30-year-old midfielder was deployed on the right side during Saturday’s clash with Unai Emery’s team at the Emirates Stadium.
However, Partey failed to track Ollie Watkins, allowing the English striker to score and level the game 2-2 in the final moments.
Commenting on the mistake, Wright said, “He [Thomas Partey] is not a right-back and that is understandable, but as a professional player, he should have sensed that danger and not moved away,” he said on Premier League Production.
“He should have stuck with him and closed Watkins down, but he failed. At that level, when you make such mistakes, it is unforgivable, and he cost Arsenal a win,” he added.
Wright also criticised the decision to deploy Partey as a right-back.
“With the players available, I think Thomas Partey should not be playing in defense,” Wright said on Premier League Production after the game.
“He is a midfielder, and that is where he should be playing,” he added.
Gabriel Martinelli and Kai Havertz had given Arsenal a 2-1 lead, but Villa responded with a goal from Youri Tielemans, followed by Watkins’ equalizer.
The draw against Villa has left Arsenal six points behind Premier League leaders Liverpool, who beat Brentford 2-0 earlier on Saturday and also have a game in hand.
Arsenal will be aiming to bounce back when they face Dinamo Zagreb in the Champions League before travelling to take on Wolves.