Can Thomas Partey and Arsenal take advantage of Casemiro's absence?

The key Man Utd midfielder was booked in midweek and will miss this weekend's crucial Premier League clash.

FINE FORM: Thomas Partey of Arsenal during the Premier League match against Tottenham Hotspur last weekend. Pic: Craig Mercer/MB Media/Getty Images

Manchester United’s Casemiro got himself booked late on in the midweek game against Crystal Palace, which was rather careless of him, and that card rules him out of the Arsenal game this weekend. He was set to be at the heart of the showdown between two of the most successful midfielders of the season; himself and Thomas Partey. But how crucial is each man to their team? Does the Brazilian’s suspension hand the advantage in the big game to Arsenal? Would Partey be a bigger miss to the Gunners if he was unavailable? How crucial has Casemiro been for the Red Devils resurgent form?

Opta stats measure almost everything in a game and if we take a deep dive into their analysis, it reveals some fascinating facts about both players. Before the midweek game, Casemiro had played 1068 Premier League minutes to Thomas Partey’s 1304 and that has to be borne in mind when comparing numbers.