Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has praised the quality of Ghanaian midfielder Thomas Partey following Arsenal’s 1-0 defeat to Paris Saint-Germain in the first leg of the UEFA Champions League semifinals.

The match, played at the Emirates Stadium, saw Partey absent due to suspension, after receiving a yellow card in the 85th minute of Arsenal’s 2-1 win over Real Madrid in the quarterfinals.

Ousmane Dembélé scored the only goal of the game in the 4th minute, finishing off a brilliant 26-pass team move by PSG.

Arteta acknowledged the impact of Partey's absence and highlighted the midfielder's importance to the team’s overall structure and performance.

“We know how important Thomas Partey is but lucky enough we have good depth in midfield that everyone can step in. Declan [Rice] as the six showed a good game, he was good on the ball and everyone was really good today.

“He gives options and a different threat. It gives us flexibility to change the game. It’s half-time and we have a big chance to be in the final” Arteta said in a post-game interview with Amazon Prime.