Chelsea vs. Arsenal: Top 5 players to have starred for both clubs

5. Cesc Fabregas

Cesc Fabregas broke through at Arsenal before later starring for Chelsea

Cesc Fabregas might’ve begun his career in Barcelona’s famed La Masia academy, but he joined Arsenal at the age of 15 and made his name with the North London side, breaking into their first team to become their youngest ever player at just 16 years and 177 days.

Within a couple of years he’d established himself as one of the Premier League’s best midfielders, winning his first trophy in 2004-05 as the Gunners defeated Manchester United to capture the FA Cup. After 7 seasons at Arsenal, the Spaniard had become the club’s captain and was named as their Player of the Year on two occasions.

The summer of 2011 saw him make a big move back to boyhood club Barcelona, but after 3 seasons at the Nou Camp, he made a return to Premier League action. Rather than head back to the Emirates, though, Fabregas instead made the switch to Chelsea, where he immediately established himself in their starting XI as a deep-lying playmaker.

The Spaniard made an immediate impact, playing in 34 of the Blues’ 38 Premier League games in 2014-15 as they captured the league title under Jose Mourinho, and from there he was practically an ever-present for the following 3 seasons, winning another Premier League title and making almost 200 appearances for the club in the process.

Fabregas finally departed Chelsea in January 2019 when he moved to French side Monaco, and he remains fondly remembered at both London clubs.