Thomas Partey is set to appear in court today in London on charges of rape and sexual assault.
However, he played for Villarreal against Tottenham in yesterday’s Champions League match.
The emergence of these charges immediately after leaving Arsenal, and now facing an English club before his court appearance, has raised some questions in the public eye.
The 32-year-old Ghanaian footballer is facing five counts of sexual assault against two women.
Partey has denied all charges and described the court hearing as an opportunity to clear his name.
During this period, fans were highly critical of Partey’s transfer to Spanish side Villarreal on a free transfer. In fact, Villarreal supporters even started a petition to prevent the transfer from going through.
Previously, in a match against Real Oviedo, he played only 15 minutes, yet was continuously whistled by the home fans.
Villarreal head coach Marcelino said ahead of the match at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium that he was “completely confident” that Partey was mentally and technically ready to play.
No noticeable drop in the player’s performance was observed.