This argument have been debated ever since Partey completed his £45m record move to Arsenal. Many has labelled him to be on the same par with Essien, whilst others have different views.
This week, the argument was awaken when a renowned Sport Journalist, Bismark Owusu Bempah, asserted that
“Michael Essien was good for his work rate but in terms of technique, Thomas Partey is way better than Essien.”
The comment aroused reactions from Ghanaians on social media of which some concur with his view, and others having a contradictory perspective.
One Kweku Boadu argued: You’ve only been watching the premier league for only 10years counting if you believe Thomas Partey has better technique than Essien.
Whilst another countered, If Partey continue this play for the next 3/4 years in this average arsenal setup then that argument will be valid.
So, what does other players say about these two?
Stephen Appiah, Ghana Black Star’s 2006 World Cup captain as qouted by goal sometime 2020, is with the view that ‘Partey is more Technical, but Essien was stronger and took control. You can play them together because they’re two different kinds, but you can’t play Essien and Gattuso together.’
Michael Essien is currently plying his trade at Danish club FC Nordsjælland as a member of their coaching staff. In his playing days, he played for Liberty Professionals, Bastia, Lyon, Chelsea, Real Madrid, AC Milan and others, netting 43 goals in the process. For Ghana Black Stars, he scored 9 goals in his 59 appearance.
The bull was 2× Ligue 1 winner, 2× Premier League champion, 4× FA Cup champion, 1 Football League Cup and Champions League winner.
He also chalked some personal accolades. In his playing days, Essien won BBC AFRICAN PLAYER OF THE YEAR (2006), Ligue 1 player of the year (2004-2005) , and Ghana player of the year(2006-2007).
Thomas Partey on the hand is one of the power house of Arsenal FC midfield at the moment. Before joining Arsenal, he had played for Leganés, Marloca (loan), Amería, and Atlético Madrid. He has recorded 41 goals with 13 of them coming from his National assignment with the Ghana Black Stars in 40 games.
In 2018, Thomas Partey won SWAG Sports Personality of the Year, and Ghana Player of the Year.
-Michael Essien and Thomas Partey
Author- Isaac Papa Nketsiah
