Thomas Partey denies rape and sexual assault charges at Southwark Crown Court

Thomas Partey, the 32-year-old Ghanaian midfielder who left Arsenal this summer, has denied five counts of rape and one count of sexual assault after appearing at Southwark Crown Court for a plea hearing.

Partey spoke to confirm his name before entering not guilty pleas to each charge. The alleged offences are said to have taken place between 2021 and 2022, when he regularly played in the Premier League. He was charged four days after his Arsenal contract expired at the end of June.

Magistrates at Southwark granted Partey bail ahead of a trial, which is due to start at the same court on Nov. 2. Conditions of the bail do not prevent him from playing football, but require him to notify police of any international travel at least 24 hours in advance and bar him from contacting the complainants.

Partey, who signed for Spanish side Villarreal after leaving Arsenal, was in England on the day of the hearing as his new club faced Tottenham Hotspur in the Champions League. He was named as a substitute and came on during what finished as a 1-0 defeat for Villarreal.

The charges were read at the hearing and relate to three complainants. Prosecutors allege the incidents occurred over the 2021–22 period; Partey has denied the allegations. Court papers show he will remain on bail pending the scheduled trial.

Partey joined Arsenal from Atlético Madrid in 2020 and became a regular in the club’s midfield during his tenure in north London. His move to Villarreal followed the expiration of his contract with Arsenal at the end of June.

The case will return to Southwark Crown Court as it moves towards the trial date. No further hearings were listed at the plea hearing, and the court record shows the defendant will be subject to the stated bail conditions while the matter proceeds through the criminal courts.