Players who played in both the red and blue of Arsenal and Chelsea
As two of the most decorated clubs in the country, many footballing legends have featured for both sides across the years. However, only a select few can say they have played for both.
Here, Flashscore put together a starting XI of players who have turned out for both Chelsea and Arsenal.
GK - Petr Cech (40)
One of the best goalkeepers the Premier League has ever seen, Cech had a long and successful career at Chelsea before the arrival of Thibaut Courtois saw him move on to Arsenal.
Cech kept 202 clean sheets in the league - the most in the history of the division - making 333 appearances for the Blues and 110 for the Gunners before retiring from football in 2019.
DEF - David Luiz (35)
The Brazilian defender divides opinion amongst both sets of supporters but was a success in the Premier League. Luiz won the title with Chelsea in 2016/17, as well as a Champions League during his first spell at the club in 2012.
He also won an FA Cup with both clubs, in 2018 with Chelsea and in 2020 with Arsenal. Luiz moved away from England a year after his final trophy, joining Brazilian side Flamengo.
DEF - William Gallas (45)
One of the more infamous transfer cases at the time, Gallas is another player who moved to north London from Chelsea, although his move was far from simple.
The Frenchman made it clear to then-manager Jose Mourinho that he wanted to leave the Blues, so badly in fact that he actually threatened to score own goals if his selection in the side continued.
He endured a trophyless four years at Arsenal before going one step further and joining Tottenham Hotspur, where he would see out his Premier League career. Coincidentally, he's the only player to have captained all three London rivals.
DEF - Ashley Cole (41)
While Gallas went one way in 2006, Cole went the other and joined Chelsea, going on to become arguably the best left-back the league has ever seen.
Cole won three league titles - including an invincible season with the Gunners - as well as a Champions League with Chelsea and seven FA Cups spread across both stints.
MID - Yossi Benayoun (42)
The only player in this squad that was loaned between the two teams, the Israeli midfielder moved around England a lot and only really found a settled home at Liverpool - failing to make a big impact at either Arsenal or Chelsea.
Benayoun also turned out for West Ham and QPR but is best remembered for his time on Merseyside.
MID - Cesc Fabregas (35)
Fabregas will go down as a legend of the game, excelling at both Arsenal and then Chelsea - with a highly successful move to Barcelona in between his stints in England.
The midfielder won the league twice with Chelsea, won an FA Cup with both sides and is still the fastest player ever to reach 100 assists in the Premier League, doing so in 293 appearances. He still plays club football and is currently at Serie B side Como.
MID - Lassana Diarra (37)
Unfortunately for Diarra, he only made a combined 20 appearances for Chelsea and Arsenal and failed to make any real impact for either team
He would go on to make a name for himself at Portsmouth before securing a huge transfer to Real Madrid in 2009. Diarra spent three years at the Spanish giants before he moved to Russian club Anzhi Makhachkala.
MID - Emmanuel Petit (52)
Another legend of the game, Petit played for Arsenal in the late 1990s before spending a single season at Barcelona, after which he was then sold to Chelsea.
The French midfielder won a Premier League and FA Cup with the Gunners, but failed to pick up any silverware at the Blues before retiring in 2004. He also won a World Cup and European Championship with the French national team.
FWD - Willian (34)
Willian featured 339 times for Chelsea, scoring 69 goals and winning five trophies.
The winger had a far better time at the Blues than he did at Arsenal, frustrating a lot of supporters in north London despite a superb debut where he provided three assists against Fulham.
Interestingly, following a stint back in Brazil, WIllian now plays for Fulham after joining in the summer of 2022.
FWD - Olivier Giroud (36)
Another Frenchman who has played for both sides, Giroud joined Arsenal in 2012 and spent six years with the Gunners, playing 253 times and scoring 105 times. He then moved to west London, where he made 119 appearances and netted 39 goals.
Giroud is remembered fondly by both sets of supporters and even outsiders - scoring some magnificent goals during his time in England.
FWD - Nicolas Anelka (43)
Despite his reputation being soured by his time at West Brom, Anelka was fantastic during his time both in west and north London.
The forward won league titles with both teams and claimed the golden boot award during the 2008/09 season with Chelsea - when he struck 19 times.
Honourable mention - Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (33)
Aubameyang is the most recent addition to the list of plays to have played for both clubs - joining Chelsea in the summer of 2022 after an indifferent spell at Barcelona.
The Gabonese international has featured 11 times for the Blues so far, scoring three goals. He left Arsenal in disappointing fashion after falling out with Mikel Arteta, despite being club captain and scoring 69 goals in 133 Premier League matches.
