Thomas Partey, 32, did not appear at Westminster Magistrates Court but his lawyer confirmed the former Arsenal player intended to plead not guilty to the charges.
Thomas Partey faces two further rape charges (Image: Zeynep Demir Aslim/Anadolu via Getty Images)
Former Arsenal midfielder Thomas Partey has announced in court that he intends to plead not guilty to two new charges of rape.
The 32-year-old, who currently plays for Spanish side Villarreal, did not appear at Westminster Magistrates Court on Friday to face charges relating to one of his alleged victims in 2020. The charges were reported to police in August 2025.
The party did not appear in court as Deputy Chief Justice Tan Ikram was handling the preliminary stages of the case. The footballer was exempted from the hearing, but his lawyer Emma Fenn said he intended to plead not guilty to both charges.
Arabella McDonald, prosecuting, told the court: “Mr Partey faces two further charges of rape dating back to December 2020. The complainant came forward after news of Mr Party’s other affairs were widely publicized.”
Mr Partey appeared at Southwark Crown Court in September and denied five charges of rape against two other women and a charge of sexual assault against a third.
These alleged offenses occurred between 2021 and 2022, when he was playing for Arsenal. The trial is scheduled to take place before a High Court judge on November 2 this year.
Partey spent five years at Arsenal, making 167 appearances and scoring nine goals. He left the club when his contract expired on June 30 last year and was indicted four days later.
After leaving Arsenal, the midfielder joined Villarreal on a one-year contract with an option for a further 12 months. He has appeared in 24 games for the Spanish team this season and will face Alaves in La Liga on Friday night.
Mr Partey was released on bail on Friday with the condition that he have no contact with the alleged victim. He is scheduled to appear at the next court hearing on April 10.
