Toney Pleads Not Guilty to Soho Nightclub Assault Charge

Brentford and England striker Ivan Toney entered the plea at Westminster Magistrates' Court, denying an assault charge linked to a Soho nightclub incident, according to Sky Sports, ESPN and The Athletic.

Ivan Toney pleaded not guilty at Westminster Magistrates' Court to an assault charge linked to a Soho nightclub incident, according to Sky Sports, ESPN and The Athletic. The Brentford and England striker denies the allegation.

Toney was charged on July 31 in connection with the incident, per Sky Sports. Court proceedings continue, with both ESPN and The Athletic also reporting the not-guilty plea at the same court appearance, and The Athletic carrying the story on its UK site. The hearing is the latest step in a case that has been running since the original charge was brought in the summer, with a higher court date yet to be scheduled.

Toney has been in sharp Premier League form. He has scored six goals in 11 league appearances for Brentford this season, a run that has helped lift the Bees into the top half of the table. His England recall under Thomas Tuchel, after a long international absence, was one of the stories of the autumn international window — and one of the early positives of the new manager's tenure.

Upcoming international fixtures will now run alongside the legal proceedings, with Toney maintaining his innocence ahead of the next hearing in the case.