Chelsea will host Arsenal at Stamford tonight in an attractive match as both teams have different dreams to fulfill this season.
While the Blues look set to finish third, Arsenal must win the match if they have any ambitions of returning to the Champions League with both Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur.
This was one of the most anticipated encounters of the Premier League era and we look at the players who have played on both sides.
The French player was brought to the Premier League by Arsene Wenger and was influential when Arsenal won the title in 1997-1998. After three seasons in North London, he moved to Barcelona in 2000 but returned to Londo a year later with Chelsea.
Another Frenchman signed with Wenger for Arsenal. He scored nine goals during his 97-98 title-winning season and then scored 19 in all competitions before moving to Real Madrid. He moved to Chelsea in 2008 where he scored 59 goals across five seasons and won the Premier League title, as well as the FA Cup twice.
The left-back was very influential for Arsenal in their indomitable squad, but he broke the club’s heart when he crossed over to Stamford Bridge in 2006. He quickly became one of Chelsea’s icons, winning the Premier League and the Champions League during his time with the club.
His spell at Chelsea preceded a dream move to Barcelona, ​​and his early years at Arsenal were really fun to watch…
The French player had little contribution to both clubs. He played 13 Premier League games with Chelsea before leaving for Arsenal, where he managed only seven matches.
Gallas moved to Arsenal when Cole arrived at Chelsea. The French defender moved to north London and enjoyed four solid – if not awardless – years under Wenger. He even made a more controversial switch in 2010 when he left Wenger for Tottenham.
Loan moves between Chelsea and Arsenal are rare, but that’s exactly what the Israeli midfielder Benayoun did in 2011.
Chelsea legend Cech moved to Arsenal in 2014 because he wanted more of the football that was not being offered at Stamford Bridge. He was due to return to his former club where he is currently working as an acting performance advisor for the club.
Willian has enjoyed success at Chelsea, regularly hitting double figures and making assists during his seven seasons in West London. His spell with Arsenal was even more disappointing despite starting his outing in north London with assists in his debut against Fulham.
He scored just one goal for Arsenal and failed to achieve any consistency, leaving for the Brazilian side Corinthians last summer.
Brazil’s Chelsea in 2011 for £21.5m, but a massive £50m bid from PSG in 2014 saw Brazil move to Paris. Two years later, he returned to Chelsea, where he stayed for another three seasons before moving to Arsenal for another two years. He is currently in his native Brazil representing the flamingo.
Giroud arrived in the Premier League from Montpellier in 2012 for Arsenal. He scored an impressive 105 goals in 253 appearances before the drive for more time forced him to move to Chelsea in 2018. The Frenchman is now at Milan in Serie A, hoping to help his side win the title.
