Arsenal star Thomas Partey pays tribute to Christian Atsu after win against Bournemouth 

Arsenal midfielder Thomas Partey paid a heartfelt tribute to compatriot Christian Atsu after the Gunners' 3-2 win against Bournemouth. Atsu tragically passed away in the aftermath of the recent devastating earthquake in Turkey.

Partey scored the Gunners' first goal of the night in the 62nd minute to halve his team's deficit and spark a comeback. During the post-match celebrations, Partey removed his shirt and showed the message for Atsu.

"Rest Well Christian Atsu," the message read.

Atsu represented Arsenal's opponents on Saturday, Bournemouth, in the 2015-16 season on loan from Chelsea.

After Partey opened the scoring, Ben White scored his first goal for Arsenal in the 70th minute, finding the back of the net with a right-footed finish from a Reiss Nelson cross.

Nelson, who came on as a second-half substitute, turned the match on its head with his 97th minute winner.

Arsenal's Thomas Partey has been crucial to his side's title charge this season

Thomas Partey has been a crucial player for Arsenal this season. The Ghanaian midfielder is often compared to Manchester United's Casemiro and Manchester City's Rodri as one of the best defensive midfielders in the league.

The 29-year-old has made 27 appearances for Mikel Arteta's team this term and has built a knack for scoring clutch goals. The former Atletico Madrid midfielder was lauded by Arteta for his performance in the Gunners' 4-0 win against Everton on March 2. Arteta said (via the Gunners' official website):

"We needed a magic moment there and Alex and Bukayo produced that, and then I think the team grew, especially with Thomas because Jorginho wasn’t feeling good today. When he came on he really gave us some presence and stability to the team and I think the second half was superb."

The Gunners' midfield has been one of the main reasons behind their charge for the Premier League title. The north Londoners currently have 63 points from 26 games and hold a five-point lead over defending champions Manchester City at the top of the table.