'Casemiro wipes him away': Rio Ferdinand instantly dismisses Partey vs Casemiro debate

Speaking on his official YouTube podcast, Rio Ferdinand said: "I think of the importance of Casemiro and Thomas Partey to their teams.

"Yes, you could argue both sides quite equally. But then, when you through the stats, Casemiro wipes Partey away.

"I don't think Partey is good enough defensively to do what Casemiro is doing. But on the ball, he's doing more."

Arsenal are currently sitting top of the Premier League partly thanks to Partey who has established himself as a key player under Mikel Arteta.

The two midfielders won't be able to battle it out on the pitch on Sunday as the Brazilian is suspended for Manchester United's trip to the Emirates.