Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has heaped praise on Ghana midfielder Thomas Partey after a perfect start to the season.

The box-to-box midfielder has hit a fine form for the Gunners in their ambition to at least win the Premier League title having come very close in the past two seasons.

With Arsenal preparing to face Southampton at the Emirates Stadium in London on Saturday, Arteta admits that Partey was for the first time in the right condition when he returned from Ghana after last season.

“He’s a key player for us, he’s massive player and we can see that week in week out,” Arteta said.

“They way he came back post-holidays was probably the best condition that he’s been. Now it’s about managing him,”he added.

Partey will leave London after the weekend game and join his teammates for international duties as Black Stars face Sudan in a double header in Group E of 2025 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers.