Darren Bent has said that Arsenal’s No.6 Thomas Partey is not even in the same league as Manchester City lynchpin Rodri.
Despite being a Gooner himself, he admitted on talkSPORT that the Spaniard is simply miles better than the £45 million (Independent) man.
During the initial weeks of the season, Darren Bent, much like every Premier League enthusiast was being drawn into comparisons between Rodri, Thomas Partey and Casemiro.
Darren Bent says Rodri is on another level to Thomas Partey
Naturally, fans from each club were vouching for their defensive midfielder to be the best in the league as well as on the planet.
With Arsenal topping the table for a chunk of the campaign, Partey was being lauded as the best player in his position by many.
However, Darren Bent has decided to hold his hands up and admit that Rodri, branded as ‘complete’ by Frank Leboeuf is in a different stratosphere to Thomas Partey.
“For me, he is the best holding midfielder in the world. Right now, he is the best holding midfielder in the world. At the start of the season, for my sins, I was saying that Thomas Partey [was the best No.6 in the world], who start of the season, unbelievable. He can’t lace Rodri’s boots!”
Rodri is not just better than the Arsenal midfielder but all his compatriots
At this point, it seems rather evident that as proficient as Thomas Partey is, Darren Bent is right in pinpointing that Rodri remains significantly better.
A key factor behind why the former Villareal No.6 is the best in the world is the balance in his game.
On the ball, Rodri is exceptional, akin to Sergio Busquets, albeit not at the same level.
Whilst off the ball, despite not being an elite athlete, his instinct for mopping up any sign of danger is second to none, which makes him incredibly well-rounded.
The same cannot be said about either Thomas Partey or Casemiro, as the balance in their games is not as finely-tuned as Rodri’s.
