When Thomas Partey signed for Arsenal in the summer, he arrived to a hero's welcome.The north London club were thought to have pulled one of the their best signings in years as they just about got the deal over the line in the dying hours of the transfer window.Capturing the signature of the silky Ghanian was seen as a real coup for Mikel Arteta and his side who all of a sudden looked like a squad capable of challenging for the top four once again.

Thomas Partey's Arsenal struggles

Sadly, that was as good as it would get for Partey at Arsenal, with his first season at the Emirates lurching from one disappointment to the next.

His brilliant Atletico form simply didn't make the trip from Spain with him and, once you add significant injury troubles to the caldron, you have a first-season brew that simply hasn't cut the mustard.

Arsenal crash out of Europe

However, Partey's - and Arsenal's - season sunk to a new low on Thursday night as they crashed out of Europe with a whimper.

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If that didn't hurt enough, the fatal blow was inflicted by Villarreal, a team managed by former Gunners boss, Unai Emery.

Partey's awful moment

It was a dire performance all-round from the Gunners, but, for Partey why is currently rated a £40.5 million player on Transfermarkt, there was one moment in particular that just about summed up his entire Arsenal career.

Under pressure from a raft of Villarreal players on the edge of his own box, Partey looked to clear the ball up-field only to absolutely spanner it no more than two yards off his wrong foot.

While Partey certainly won't be singing the praises of Nicolas Pepe for the part he played in the incident, it still just looks an awful moment for a player who had become known for the ice that usually runs through his veins.

Pressure on Arteta

Currently in ninth on the Premier League table, the European failure has left the Gunners on the precipice, staring down the barrel of a season without Europe.

Unsurprisingly, Arteta's job is being called into question by fans, with many feeling that he has made the side worse since taking over from the aforementioned Emery.

(Credit: The Football Terrace)

Having tied talismanic captain Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang down to a new long term contract, and, alongside the signing of Partey, Arteta looked to have checked all the boxes required for a resurgent season.

The on-field performances simply haven't stacked up, however, and you can't help but feel that it is only a matter of time before Arteta is shown the Emirates exit door.