ARSENAL COACH MIKEL ARTETA DEFENDS CLUB’S HANDLING OF THOMAS PARTEY AMID SERIOUS CHARGES
Enet
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has stood by the club’s response to allegations against former player Thomas Partey, who faces five counts of rape and one count of sexual assault. The charges were filed days after Partey’s contract with Arsenal expired on June 30, 2025.
Arteta insisted the club followed “the right processes 100 per cent” despite criticism over delays, as complaints about Partey reportedly surfaced in September 2021, nearly a year before his first arrest in July 2022. The Telegraph claims Arsenal, the FA, and the Premier League were aware of concerns at the time, but no formal investigation was launched, as the allegations fell outside the FA’s safeguarding scope for adults and minors at risk.
Partey, now without a club after five seasons at Arsenal, is accused of assaulting three women between 2021 and 2022. The charges include two counts of rape involving one woman, three counts involving a second, and one count of sexual assault involving a third. The alleged victims’ identities are protected.
Speaking before Arsenal’s pre-season tour of Asia, Arteta called the legal matter “very complicated” but declined to elaborate, maintaining the club acted appropriately. The charges follow a three-year Scotland Yard investigation, initiated in February 2022 after an initial rape report. The Crown Prosecution Service reviewed extensive evidence before proceeding.
Partey denies all charges and “welcomes the opportunity to clear his name,” according to his lawyer. He is set to appear at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on August 5, 2025.
