During the post-match analysis of Arsenal’s 2-2 draw against Aston Villa on Sky Sports, Paul Merson fumed about Partey’s inability to mark Ollie Watkins tightly.
He added that former Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher would never have committed such a mistake.
“With the two goals, Merino and Partey, you want to stop the game and get the referee to give Partey a microphone and ask, ‘What were you thinking?’ because I wonder what he was thinking; I just don’t know.
“Jamie [Carragher] would have never done that in his life, even playing about 600 games. He would have stood with him and never given him space,” Merson said.
In reaction to the remarks, some football fans rejected the pundit’s criticism of Partey, citing the fact that the player is a midfielder, not a defender, and was playing out of position.
Others described the comments as harsh, sidelining his efforts and focusing on his setbacks.
Some also slammed him for comparing Partey to Carragher, whose natural position was a defender.
Read some of the comments below:
