Two Arsenal stars in top ten of the best passers under pressure

The ability to pass the ball effectively under pressure is a skill possessed by only a select few individuals, and Arsenal is fortunate to have players who excel in this aspect.

Under the guidance of Mikel Arteta, Arsenal has adopted a playing style reminiscent of Manchester City, characterised by a combination of possession-based football and impressive attacking displays.

One crucial element that the team requires is players who can maintain possession even when faced with opponents applying pressure. Such individuals are relatively rare in the footballing world.

In the Premier League, only a handful of clubs can boast players who perform well under pressure, and Arsenal is among them.

A collaboration between Opta and The Athletic has yielded a list of the best players in terms of ball retention under pressure. It comes as no surprise that Rodri of Manchester City tops the rankings, with the likes of Bruno Guimaraes and Jack Grealish also featuring in the top five.

Interestingly, the report highlights that Thomas Partey is the Arsenal player who excels the most in maintaining possession when under pressure. The Ghanaian midfielder ranks within the top ten in the Premier League for this skill. Additionally, Martin Odegaard is also listed among the top performers in this regard, further emphasising Arsenal’s strength in ball retention under pressure.

Just Arsenal Opinion

This report shows how important Partey was to our success in the last campaign, as reports suggest he could be sold this summer.

The Ghanaian is the most effective defensive shield we have at the Emirates at the moment and we need to keep him until at least after next season. 

Video – Alfie and Rob are back for the summer transfer window
Here is their first analysis of the summer, where Alfie and Rob discuss and predict every single possible Arsenal incoming and outgoing this summer, including fees and potential destinations for outgoings.

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Tags Martin Odegaard Thomas Partey

13 Comments

  1. Partey has been a world class player for quite some time now, we were able only to get same for £45 mil because of some release clause, we didn’t had to negotiate just pay the money and the rest is history.

    Odegaard had shown he would be the next big thing coming out of Norway at a very tender age, was only held back when sign and transfer to the cemetery of talents.

    Today these two players are not in the top ten by chance they are pedigree.
    But Arsenal need an abundance of these players because of their playing style.
    These players can get injury quite easily because of how they keep the ball and dare you to take them on, the close control , running with the ball almost glue to their feet, able to play comfortable in tight spaces.

    Arsenal first signing in the summer got to be a player that support these two Moises Caicedo, this kid tick too many of Arsenal boxes

  2. Yes I much agre that thability to retain the ball and then pass or dribble , when under presuure ,is one quality which separtes the VERY BEST from the merely good players.

    At true WC level even a two or three percent difference in quality is a huge ADVANTAGE. Its akin to an extra yard or two in a hundred metres race at top level.

    And a yard or two is a HUGE gap from the VERY BEST , to the merely good or even the very good.

    The term “world class” is usd too often, too easily, too wrongly and too lazily, in general, IMO!

    1. Jon/Gunsmoke – I’m never really sure why the term “world class” gets used and wonder if everyone means the same thing when they use the term.
      For me the pinnacle of football has always been the World Cup, so towards the end of Arsene’s time at Arsenal he really irritated me when he said something like (so I’m not quoting him) something like – the World Cup is the lowest form of football !!! and is of lower quality than CL or PL. I think Arsene was going a bit nutty towards the end, or he was trying to be controversial.
      I’ve always wondered how the Barcelona team under Guardiola would have done playing in a World Cup against nations. An impossible situation ofcourse because – would countries get priority over Barcelona with regard to team selection. Rambling.

      1. Evgunner, Somewhere in the middle lays the truth, the champions league is of the highest quality, but saying the world’s cup is of the lowest standard is bound to be controversial.

        The world cup is one of the very highest levels of football, I would rather to represent my country at a world cup once than playing several times in the champions league, it’s the highest personal accomplishment in sports one could achieve in my opinion.

        Just ask our athletes about the diamond league and the amount of wealth they are able to generate and ask our same athletes about the world cup they would tell just being on the plane to the world cup gives a total different feeling.

        Alex Furgeston unimpressed by how Arsenal won the double, once said Man United plays the best football in England, In responding Wenger said every one thinks they have the prettiest wife at home.

        So yes the legendary Arsne Wenger is like that he is bold and vocal and at times depends in the context in which he speaks, I love the Frenchman, lol

        1. Yes G – I remember AW saying “the prettiest wife” thing. A brilliant comment. As much as I love Arsenal, my excitement goes to another level during the World Cup.
          Usain Bolt must have made a fortune from the Diamond League appearances, but I bet you he was most proud of his achievements in Olympic Games running for Jamaica, and so he should. be. By the way Jamaica’s greatest invention and export was Reggae in your Jeggae !

          1. Sorry Evgunner I meant to say Olympics instead of world cup..

            Yes representing your country in the Olympics and world cup is the greatest personal achievement one can ever accomplish, I once talk to an athlete that competes in the diamond league countless time, she told me just been on the plane to China for the Olympics felt different.

            Have you seen my response to you about PEPE,
            It’s on the page , Arsenal fully deserved the perfect respect given

            1. Yes G – I saw your response and it’s like we definitely agree about Pepe. The more I think about that guy, the more regretful his situation seems. I don’t think MA will give him another chance, but I really wish he would. Everyone has written Pepe off, and maybe rightly so because he hasn’t done that well on loan either. When I looked at his face sometimes he seemed like he wasn’t comfortable with whatever instructions MA had given him. I guess some players just have to be allowed to do their own thing and I think he’s one of those.

      2. EG, You are NOT rambling at all but making a serious point .

        I have long told anyonewho will listen or take any notice , that the top level club teams would thrash the best national teams.
        I have litle doubt that the Man City team of RTIGHT NOW would thrash ANY national team in the world and would do it consistently too.

        I am also convinced Arsenal would beat England easily, if all our England players played for us of course.

  3. This is why partey is so important for us, and why he’d be so hard to replace. I don’t think rice could do what he does, so we’d have to change our way of playing if rice took over his position. Possession football would be far more difficult.
    Not a great surprise to see odegaard mentioned as well. He’s getting better and better at escaping pressure situations with the ball (in the pl – it was always a skill of his) but i still think he can be more consistent with his final pass – genuinely, I’m fascinated to see how good he can become, because I don’t think he’s the finished article yet, and he’s excellent already.

    1. Davi – You’re right, I don’t think Rice and Partey are alike really. They offer different things. Rice is more offensively minded, but Partey is more about control. Having said that, Rice has yet to start scoring goals regularly. Together they would be very good, however based on what Gunsmoke told me yesterday Rice may be out of the picture now. He said that Lee Dixon said Arteta is not at all interested in Rice !

      1. The mirror carries the story on March 16th, by Josh O’ Brian.

        The same story was carried by Football London on March 17th by Sam Hill.

        In both articles the Arsenal legend thinks Declan Rice is a smoke screen.

        1. Oh I thought this was something Dixon said more recently. Things may have changed since then. You know what though, I think MA is very hard headed so when there are signs he is thinking one way, you can usually bet he’s not going to change his mind. Although he did change his mind about Eddie Nketiah.

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