Villarreal Defeats Arsenal: Thomas Partey’s 'New' Club Prevails In London Friendly

• Spanish La Liga side Villarreal secured an impressive win over Arsenal in a thrilling five-goal encounter
• Partey, recently granted bail following his initial court appearance, is on the verge of sealing a two-year move to Villarreal
• The 32-year-old midfielder previously spent five seasons with the Gunners, racking up over 100 appearances

Thomas Partey's potential new club, Villarreal CF, stunned Arsenal, his immediate past employers, in an exciting friendly game at the Emirates Stadium.

Goals from Nicolas Pepe, a former Arsenal winger, Etta Eyong and Arnaut Danjuma rendered Christian Norgaard and Martin Odegaard's strikes a consolation.

Villarreal stuns Arsenal in preseason match

It was a frenetic start to the friendly encounter, and the Spanish visitors wasted no time in making their presence felt.

Nicolas Pepe, once a record signing for the Gunners, broke the deadlock in the 16th minute with a composed finish, sending shockwaves through the home crowd.

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Villarreal kept the pressure on, and just over half an hour into the contest, Etta Eyong doubled their lead.

Arsenal looked out of sorts, struggling to deal with the tempo and fluidity of their opponents.

The hosts finally found a spark three minutes later when summer recruit Christian Norgaard reduced the deficit with a smart finish.

Mikel Arteta’s men then introduced a host of fresh legs after the break, taking control of possession and dictating play as they chased an equaliser.

Arnaut Danjuma delivered the killer blow in the 68th minute, slotting home to restore Villarreal’s two-goal advantage, per The Telegraph.

Though Arsenal captain Martin Odegaard converted a penalty eight minutes later, it proved too little, too late.

The 3-2 result marked back-to-back preseason losses for Arsenal, who had earlier fallen to Mohammed Kudus' Tottenham Hotspur in the Herbalgy Trophy thanks to a goal from Brennan Johnson.

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For Villarreal, the victory was their first of the summer, coming after a string of four draws and two defeats.

It’s a timely morale boost as they look to regroup and push for a stronger La Liga campaign in the coming season.

Partey nears Villarreal switch

Amid the action on the pitch, the spotlight has also turned to Thomas Partey.

The Ghanaian midfielder, whose contract at Arsenal ended on June 30, 2025, appears to be closing in on a return to Spain, according to the BBC.

Reports indicate that he has completed his medical examinations and is poised to sign a two-year contract with the Yellow Submarines.

However, his future remains clouded by legal concerns. Partey made his first court appearance on August 5 after being hit with six serious charges.

Despite the heavy nature of the allegations, the 32-year-old was granted conditional bail. He has been directed to reappear before the court on Tuesday, September 2.

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Villarreal fans strongly object to Partey's transfer

Earlier, YEN.com.gh reported that a section of Villarreal supporters have strongly objected to the club’s interest in signing Thomas Partey this summer.

A Madrid-based fan group cautioned that moving forward with the deal could spark significant backlash from sections of the fanbase.

Source: YEN.com.gh