LONDON — Former Arsenal midfielder Thomas Partey appeared in a London court on Tuesday, charged with raping two women while he was a player for the English Premier League soccer club.

Partey, a Ghana international, is accused of five counts of rape relating to two women, plus a charge of sexual assault against a third woman, between April 2021 and June 2022.

The 32-year-old, who British media have reported is close to joining Spanish side Villarreal on a free transfer, sat in the dock dressed in black during the brief hearing at Westminster Magistrates' Court.

Los Angeles FC are pursuing Tottenham Hotspur star forward Heung-Min Son, multiple outlets are reporting.

Spurs are considering an offer of $20.3 million from the MLS club, according to The Sun, based in the United Kingdom.

Son to LAFC rumors

LAFC have approached Heung-min Son over potential transfer for this summer as their new superstar.

MADRID — Liverpool's Portuguese forward Diogo Jota and his brother died in a car crash in northwestern Spain early on Thursday, when their Lamborghini veered off the road and burst into flames.

Evidence at the crash site suggested Jota's car suffered a burst tire while overtaking, police said. The vehicle then flipped over and ended up in the central reservation. The crash occurred around 12:30 a.m. in the province of Zamora.

LIVERPOOL, England, May 27 (Reuters) - Four people were "very, very ill in hospital" after sustaining injuries when a car ploughed into a crowd of Liverpool fans during a Premier League title parade, the city's mayor said on Tuesday, adding he hoped they would "pull through."

British police believe the incident, in a packed Liverpool city centre on Monday, was isolated and not an act of terrorism, but have not said why or how a man was able to drive at crowds celebrating in the streets.

MANCHESTER — Manchester City gave Kevin De Bruyne a victory in his final appearance at Etihad Stadium, as Omar Marmoush, Bernardo Silva and Nico Gonzalez scored in a 3-1 Premier League win over Bournemouth on Tuesday that saw them climb to third in the table.

The night belonged to captain De Bruyne, who played an emotional final game at Etihad Stadium after an illustrious 10-year career for City.

The Belgian, however, had a ridiculous first-half miss, hammering Marmoush's cross off the underside of the crossbar from close range and then holding his head in disbelief.

Nottingham Forest striker Taiwo Awoniyi has had urgent surgery for an abdominal injury after he clattered into a post during their 2-2 Premier League draw with Leicester City at the weekend, Forest said in a statement on Tuesday.

Substitute Awoniyi rejoined the game after receiving treatment but was limping around for the last 10 minutes.

Awoniyi hits post

"It's a little bit crazy, to be honest."

Leicester City striker Jamie Vardy will leave the Premier League club at the end of the season following their relegation, bringing the curtain down on an era where he established himself as one of the greats in a team that punched above their weight.

Vardy, who was signed from fifth-tier side Fleetwood Town for $1.33 million in 2012, became the club's greatest player of the modern age, scoring 198 goals across all competitions.

Jamie Vardy on Monday criticized himself and his fellow Leicester City players following their relegation from the Premier League, saying his own performance in the campaign had been an "embarrassment."

A 1-0 home defeat by runaway Premier League leaders Liverpool condemned 19th-placed Leicester to relegation on Sunday, after just one season back in the top flight.

Leicester, who won the Premier League title against all odds in 2016, are in the midst of a dismal run, losing their past nine home league games in a row without scoring - an English record.