Chelsea and Arsenal are London rivals, but that has not stopped many players from representing both. As the Blues face the Gunners in the Premier League this weekend, we are ranking players who have played for both.
17 players who played for Chelsea and Arsenal ranked from worst to best
17. Lassana Diarra
Lassana Diarra is better known for his time at Real Madrid, where he won La Liga. He also helped Portsmouth win the FA Cup. However, he did have spells at Chelsea and Arsenal at the start of his career.
With Chelsea, he made 31 appearances in total, but did manage to win the FA Cup and League Cup. He did not claim any silverware with the Gunners and only played 12 times before moving to Pompey.
16. Yossi Benayoun
After impressing for West Ham United and Liverpool, Yossi Benayoun joined Chelsea in 2010. However, he would play just 24 times in total for the Blues. Despite this, he did get his hands on a Europa League winners' medal whilst at the club.
Whilst at Chelsea, Benayoun was sent on loan to Arsenal, where he played 25 times. He also returned to West Ham on loan before joining Queens Park Rangers permanently.
15. Raheem Sterling
It was a statement signing when Chelsea captured Raheem Sterling from Manchester City in 2022. In total, his record for the Blues was not bad, with 19 goals and 15 assists in 81 games. However, he was suddenly frozen out by Enzo Maresca ahead of the 2023/24 campaign.
A loan move to Arsenal failed to get Sterling's career back on track. In 17 Premier League games for the Gunners, he failed to score but did set up two goals. After leaving Chelsea, he had a short stint with Feyenoord and now finds himself without a club.
14. Kepa Arrizabalaga
Unfortunately, Kepa Arrizabalaga is best remembered for refusing to be substituted in the 2019 EFL Cup final as Chelsea lost to Manchester City. He did make 163 appearances for the Blues and won the Europa League. He also has a Champions League winners' medal, but Edouard Mendy was Chelsea's starting goalkeeper then.
Arrizabalaga was loaned to Real Madrid and AFC Bournemouth before he joined Arsenal permanently. He has been David Raya's backup since he has been with the Gunners. However, he still managed to get his hands on a Premier League winners' medal whilst at the Emirates.
13. Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang was a great goalscorer for Arsenal, where he found the back of the net 92 times in 163 games. He scored a brace in the 2020 FA Cup final as the Gunners defeated Chelsea. However, due to disciplinary issues, he lost the captaincy and then had his contract terminated.
After a spell with Barcelona, Aubameyang returned to the Premier League with Chelsea. However, he played just 23 times for the Blues and scored just three times.
12. Noni Madueke
It is too early to rank Noni Madueke properly, and there is no doubt he has the potential to climb up this list. He helped Chelsea win the Europa Conference League and the Club World Cup.
Following the Club World Cup, he joined Arsenal, and many Gunners fans were not keen on him. However, Madueke has proved himself to be a reliable alternative option for Bukayo Saka. He has also won the Premier League with Arsenal.
11. Willian
Willian was a very good player for Chelsea, and he represented the Blues 339 times. Whilst at Stamford Bridge, he won the Premier League twice, the Europa League, the FA Cup, and the League Cup.
The Brazilian then joined Arsenal on a three-year contract, but played for them just 37 times. After just one season, his deal with the Gunners was scrapped, and he returned to Brazil with Corinthians.
10. William Gallas
William Gallas was a key player for Chelsea as they won back-to-back Premier League titles in 2005 and 2006. He also won the League Cup with the Blues and represented them 225 times. Gallas then joined Arsenal, with Ashley Cole going the other way. The defender bizarrely wore the number 10. shirt during his time with the Gunners. He played for Arsenal 142 times, and then went to another London club by joining Tottenham Hotspur.
9. David Luiz
Instantly recognizable for his frizzy hair, David Luiz starred for Chelsea across two spells. During his time with the Blues, he won the Premier League, Champions League, two FA Cups, and two Europa Leagues.
He would add another FA Cup medal to his collection with Arsenal. He played 248 times for Chelsea and 73 times for the Gunners.
8. Jorginho
Jorginho was a top midfielder for Chelsea and helped them win the Champions League, Europa League, and Club World Cup. He represented the Blues 213 times before playing for the Gunners 79 times.
7. Kai Havertz
Kai Havertz scored the winning goal for Chelsea in the 2021 Champions League final. He would play for the Blues 139 times, during which he found the back of the net 32 times. He is still an Arsenal player and has so far played 114 times, scoring 38 goals.
Havertz has been injury-prone during his time at Arsenal and is now a backup striker to Viktor Gyokeres. The German helped the Gunners win the Premier League and even scored another Champions League final goal. However, Arsenal lost that European tie to Paris Saint-Germain.
6. Olivier Giroud
A potent goalscorer for Arsenal, Olivier Giroud, scored 105 times for them in 253 games. He was not quite so prolific at Chelsea, scoring 39 goals in 119 matches. With the Gunners, Giroud won three FA Cups, but with the Blues he lifted the Champions League. However, he was an unused substitute as the Blues defeated Manchester City in the final of that tournament.
5. Nicolas Anelka
It is easy to forget that Arsenal was Nicolas Anelka's first Premier League club. Anelka won the league and the FA Cup whilst at the North London side. He scored 28 times for the Gunners in 90 games before moving to Real Madrid. The Frenchman was quite a journeyman and ended up at Chelsea in 2008.
With the Blues, Anelka scored 59 goals in 184 games. This included winning the Premier League Golden Boot in his first season at the club. Anelka would win the Premier League and two FA Cups whilst at Stamford Bridge.
4. Emmanuel Petit
Solid defensive midfielder who played for Arsenal 118 times, where he won the Premier League and FA Cup. Emmanuel Petit. then had a stint at Barca before moving to Chelsea. He represented the Blues on 76 occasions, but did not win any silverware.
3. Petr ÄŒech
Petr ÄŒech was an iconic goalkeeper for Chelsea and distinctive for wearing his protective scrum-cap-like headgear. ÄŒech played 494 times for the Blues, where he won the Premier League four times, the Champions League, the Europa League, the FA Cup four times, and the League Cup three times. He then joined Arsenal, where he would play 139 times and win the FA Cup.
2. Cesc FÃ bregas
Cesc FÃ bregas was an iconic player for Arsenal, who he played 303 times. However, he only won the FA Cup and Community Shield whilst at the Gunners. He then moved back to his boyhood club, Barcelona.
Gunners fans were not happy when he joined Chelsea in 2014. FÃ bregas went on to play for the Blues 198 times, and he won the Premier League twice, the Europa League, and the League Cup during his time at Stamford Bridge.
1. Ashley Cole
Ashley Cole came through the ranks at Arsenal and played for them 228 times. With the Gunners, he won the Premier League twice and the FA Cup three times. His move to Chelsea was controversial due to a tapping-up scandal.
The left-back would play for the Blues 337 times, winning the Premier League, Champions League, Europa League, four FA Cups, and the League Cup.
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