Yep. I guess we don't really know what Arsenal's overall options are or have been in the circumstances, I'm not confident the club would be on solid ground trying to alter Partey's contractual status based on the formal processes he's been in to date. Meanwhile, the leaders in the dressing room evidently give their backing to Partey, and I wouldn't bet on there being any charges forthcoming.
I don't think anyone wants to call down punishment on an Arsenal player, but nearly every club has one or more players under a cloud of sexual misconduct, even if there's zero consistency about how they're treated by the press and public over it. That's why sexual and gendered violence really taint top flight football as things stand. I want Arsenal to take a profound stand against and as far as I can see, that's not going to happen.
I tend to believe the allegations against Partey. They should be treated seriously by the club, investigated thoroughly and independently of the police, and adverse findings should be seen to affect his future at Arsenal. There's still time for that to be the case, but there's no point in being naïve about it, it's not on the agenda. And without a clear pattern of consequences across professional football, there will be no change.
Every player we've got this season faces the private reality that next time something like this comes up in their professional lives, taking a position will be that much harder because "Well, what about that time with Thomas Partey when we roared back into the top four?"
