PIERRE-EMERICK AUBAMEYANG has become the latest star to officially play for both Arsenal and Chelsea.
The striker, 33, joined the Blues in a £10million transfer from Barcelona on deadline day, just eight months after leaving North London.
From Petr Cech and Ashley Cole to Nicolas Anelka and Cesc Fabregas, those players could form a handy team of their own.
Check our combined best XI of players to have starred in both the red of Arsenal and blue of Chelsea… with Aubameyang jumping straight into the squad.
PETR CECH
CECH spent over a decade at Chelsea between 2004 and 2015, winning four Premier League titles, the Champions League in 2011-12 as well as nine other trophies.
But Cech, now 40, moved north to the Emirates – where he spent the final four years of his career – winning the FA Cup and two Community Shields.
He returned to Chelsea in 2019 to become technical director, but left in June after Todd Boehly took over the club.
LASSANA DIARRA
DIARRA joined Chelsea from Le Havre in 2005 – where he made just 13 Premier League appearances.
Diarra, 37, joined Arsenal two years later, where he last just one season, playing seven times before moving to Portsmouth… and then, bizarrely, Real Madrid.
He then played for several Russian sides and Marseille before ending his career at Paris Saint-Germain in 2019.
DAVID LUIZ
LUIZ was a surprise deadline day arrival for Arsenal in 2019 when he arrived in an £8m move from Chelsea.
The Brazilian, 35, spent six years at Stamford Bridge across two spells at the club – but left after being told he would not be an automatic starter.
He left Arsenal last summer after his contract expired and now plays back home for Flamengo.
WILLIAM GALLAS
ANOTHER to move straight from Chelsea to Arsenal, Gallas earned cult hero status at the Blues between 2001 and 2006 – having first joined before Roman Abramovich’s cash injection.
The Frenchman, 45, played 159 league games for the Blues and featured over 100 times for the Gunners too.
But his London tour didn’t stop there, with Gallas then spending three years at Tottenham before retiring in 2014.
ASHLEY COLE
ARGUABLY the most controversial Arsenal to Chelsea mover, Cole spent a decade at Highbury having worked his way through their youth ranks.
After 159 games at Arsenal, Cole, 41, went on to have success at Chelsea, playing 229 Premier League matches – winning one title, to go with his two from the Gunners.
Cole is looked at fondly by Blues supporters, but less so by Arsenal who never got over his betrayal.
Cole is now a first-team coach under Frank Lampard at Everton.
MOST READ IN FOOTBALL
DAVID ROCASTLE
THE Lewisham-born star spent ten years at Arsenal, having worked his way through their youth ranks.
After leaving, Rocastle played for Leeds and Manchester City, before heading to Chelsea where he spent a further four years towards the end of his career.
Rocastle sadly passed away at the age of 33 in March 2001, just a month after revealing he was undergoing treatment for cancer.
EMMANUEL PETIT
SPENDING three years apiece at the two clubs, either side of a season at Barcelona, Petit became a cult icon at both teams.
The 1998 World Cup winner, 51, won a Premier League crown with Arsenal – as well as an FA Cup and two Charity Shields – as it was then known.
Petit retired in 2005 and is now a pundit.
CESC FABREGAS
SIMILARLY to Petit, Fabregas left Arsenal for Barcelona, before heading to Chelsea – much to Gooners’ annoyance.
Fab, 35, spent eight years at the Gunners, racking up over 200 league appearances, before returning to England three years later, where he spent five seasons at Chelsea, playing 138 Prem games.
He is now playing for Serie B side Como having made the switch from Monaco in August.
PIERRE-EMERICK AUBAMEYANG
AUBAMEYANG joined Arsenal on deadline day in January 2018 for a then-club-record fee of £56m.
He went on to score 92 goals in 163 appearances for the Gunners and also won the FA Cup, Community Shield and a golden boot.
But, after being banished from the first team following a series of disciplinary breaches last year, his contract was terminated in January.
Barcelona were then able to snatch him up in a free transfer on deadline day.
Aubameyang went on to score 13 goals in 24 appearances for the LaLiga giants before returning to London to reunite with his former Borussia Dortmund boss Thomas Tuchel at Chelsea.
MORE CHELSEA STORIES
NICOLAS ANELKA
HAVING played for so many clubs, it’s hardly a surprise Anelka played for both Arsenal and Chelsea.
The Gunners were the French talent’s first English club, where he scored 23 goals in 65 games, before moving to Chelsea over a decade later, scoring 38 times in 125 matches across four seasons.
The 43-year-old also played for Man City, Liverpool, Bolton and West Brom.
Anelka is now Sporting Director of French second division side Hyères.
OLIVIER GIROUD
ARSENAL fans were disappointed when Giroud left them after six years and 73 Premier League goals.
The striker, 35, enjoyed ups and downs at Stamford Bridge but went on to win the Europa League… defeating the Gunners in the 2019 final.
He left England after winning the Champions League with Chelsea in 2021 for a new adventure in Serie A with AC Milan.
Giroud has scored 15 goals so far for the Italians, who are the reigning Serie A champions.
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
