Thomas Part, who left Arsenal for Villarreal this summer, attended the South Work Crown Court on Wednesday morning and entered his plea after playing in the Champions League the night before.
Former Arsenal midfielder Thomas Parte pleaded not guilty to charges of rape and sexual assault after appearing in court the day after playing for his new club.
Part faces five rapes of two women and sexually assaulting a third woman. The suspicious crime took place between 2021 and 2022, when he was playing for Arsenal.
The 32-year-old left the gunner and joined Spanish club Villarreal on a free transfer over the summer. He appeared as a 78th minute replacement in Tottenham’s 1-0 defeat in the Champions League on Tuesday night, attending South Work Crown Court the following morning.
Part saw him enter the courtroom wearing a dark suit. He spoke to confirm his full name and date of birth before pleading not to commit any offence in all six accusations against him.
At the end of the hearing, Judge Christopher Hehill told the party: “Your trial will take place in this court on November 2, 2026.
“You may be grateful, but Crown Court has a large backlog of work, which means trials take a long time. You’re effectively bailing, so you’re sitting behind a line of people in prison.
Ghana International was indicted in July, just four days after its contract with Arsenal expired at the end of June. Metropolitan Police was first to receive a report of rape allegations in February 2022.
Part appeared at Westminster Magistrates Court on August 5th, where he was granted conditional bail. This means that you must not contact any of the three women and tell the police about a permanent change in your address or international travel.
Earlier in the summer, his legal team, represented by Hickman and Rose’s lawyer Jenny Wiltshire, said, “Thomas Party denies all charges against him. He has worked fully with the police and CPS throughout the three years of investigation.
“He now welcomes the opportunity to finally clear his name. Given the ongoing legal process, my client cannot comment further.”
Partey joined Arsenal in 2020 for £45 million from Atletico Madrid, earning 167 appearances for the club and scoring nine goals. He has played five times since joining Villarreal and signed a one-year contract this summer.
Villarreal manager Marcelino faced questions about part’s involvement in the Spurs game, taking into account his impending court date. “I’m totally sure he’s mentally ready and technically ready to perform,” Marcelino said at a pre-match press conference.
“It’s certainly going to be ready. I’m really pleased that Thomas is with us because of his ability and ability in football and his presence as a person. He’s an incredible player with a lot of experience. He plays on some top sides. He has great abilities and great levels.
“I think he finished last season and started this season well. He settled down really, really well during the preseason. I think he’ll go back to his top level where he knows he has.
