Thomas Partey pleads not guilty to rape and sexual assault charges | OneFootball

The Ghanaian midfielder, now at Villarreal, appeared in London to face six charges.

Thomas Partey

Thomas Partey pleaded not guilty on Wednesday, September 17, 2025, before the Southwark court in London. The 32-year-old Ghanaian midfielder is facing a total of six charges: five counts of rape and one of sexual assault, relating to three different women between 2021 and 2022.

The former Arsenal player appeared before Southwark Crown Court for a hearing that lasted just 14 minutes. Partey spoke only to confirm his identity, his date of birth, and to plead not guilty to all charges brought against him. The player, who now plays for Villarreal, is scheduled to appear again on November 2, 2026, for his trial.

"Your trial will take place in this court on November 2 next year, 2026. I know that may seem a long way off. As you can appreciate, the Crown Courts have a huge backlog, which means trials take a long time to be scheduled. Given that you are on bail, you are actually behind a queue of people in custody awaiting trial," concluded Judge Christopher Hehir.