July 22 – Mikel Arteta’s emphatic “100%” confidence that Arsenal handled the Thomas Partey situation correctly invites uncomfortable comparisons with how Manchester United navigated their Mason Greenwood crisis.
Partey continued playing for Arsenal throughout a two-and-a-half-year investigation period, from his initial arrest in July 2022 until his contract expired this June. The midfielder was then charged with five counts of rape and one of sexual assault just four days after leaving Arsenal. The Crown Prosecution Service received the case in December 2024. When the club were criticised for their handling of the affair, they released a statement saying: “Due to ongoing legal proceedings the club is unable to comment”.
Compare this with United’s handling of Greenwood. Within hours of allegations emerging against him on social media in January 2022, the club suspended him, removing him from all activities pending investigation. Greenwood was later charged with attempted rape, controlling and coercive behaviour, and assault, only for those charges to be dropped after key witnesses withdrew their involvement and new information came to light. United conducted their own internal review before ultimately facilitating Greenwood’s departure to Getafe.
Arteta defended Arsenal’s approach this week when confronted by journalists on a pre-season tour in Singapore. He said: “The club was very clear in its statement. There are a lot of legal matters that are very complicated so I cannot comment.” And he was unequivocal when he made his 100% comment.
The Spaniard had suggested in May that Arsenal wanted to offer Partey a new contract – raising further questions.
Both clubs faced similar issues of protecting their reputation while respecting legal processes and acknowledging the gravity of allegations against women. But football’s moral compass remains frustratingly inconsistent when tested by its most serious challenges.