Nine players apart from David Luiz who have played for both Arsenal and Chelsea

Bengaluru, Aug 14: David Luiz shocked everybody in this transfer window after deciding to leave Chelsea and go to city rivals Arsenal.

The Brazilian was having a good time with the Blues, stating his happiness to play under new manager Frank Lampard, but after finding out he wasn’t a primary option for the former midfielder, he forced a move to Arsenal.

Since then he has been at the end of harsh criticism from the Blues supporters but this is far from the first time a player has played for both clubs. He will become the 10th player to play for both Chelsea and Arsenal since the Premier League was established.

Here we look back at those nine other names who have worn both shirts during the Premier League era.

Emmanuel Petit

Petit joined Arsenal in 1997, where he was reunited with his former Monaco manager Arsene Wenger and won a Premier League and FA Cup double in his first season at Highbury. But he left Arsenal during the summer of 2000, joining Spanish giants Barcelona.

He spent only one season in Spain before returning to England, this time signing for rivals Chelsea FC. He played a total of 76 games for the Blues and retired in January 2005.

Ashley Cole

The most heated and controversial transfer between the two sides till now. An Arsenal academy product, he quickly established himself as a first-team player and one of the best players in his position. He was an integral part of Wenger's side which won two Pl and FA Cups but a contract row saw him leave for rivals Chelsea in 2006, leaving a bitter taste in the mouths of many Arsenal fans.

At Chelsea, the English left-back became even a better player and became arguably the best left-back in the world for a time, winning every possible trophy in club football.

Cesc Fabregas

The Spanish playmaker lit up the Premier League as a teenager with the Gunners and enjoyed eight seasons with the club before moving to Barcelona in 2011. He however controversially chose Chelsea to come back in the Premier League three seasons later which saw him winning two league titles and one Fa Cup.

William Gallas

The French defender has controversially represented London based sides - Chelsea, Arsenal and Spurs. He was signed by former Chelsea manager Claudio Ranieri during the summer of 2001. He won the Premier League twice with the Blues, but due to contract turmoils forced a move to Arsenal. He betrayed the Gunners as well, as he signed for Tottenham Hotspur in August 2010.

Nicolas Anelka

The French forward was a lynchpin in the young and ferocious Arsenal team back in the '90s where he built a strong partnership with Henry as a 17-year-old and helped them win one league title. But in 1999 Real Madrid came calling and he was signed for £22.3million. He then went on to play for another five clubs before signing for Chelsea in 2008. He had, arguably, the best spell of his career at Stamford Bridge scoring 59 goals in 125 games and helping his side to the Premier League and two FA Cups.

Petr Cech

Premier League's one of all-time best keepers joined the Gunners in 2015 after 11 years with the Blues. His transfer to the arch-rival, however, originated with a feel-good factor. The retired keeper did not want to move out of London at that time and decided to sign for the Gunners after Courtois relegated him to the backup goalkeeper.

Olivier Giroud

2018 World Cup winner with France, Olivier Giroud joined Arsenal in 2012 after guiding Montpellier to the title in French Ligue 1. He went on to make 253 appearances for the club, netting 105 goals. But towards the end of his time at the club, the 31-year-old became frustrated with his lack of starts and went in search of a fresh challenge. Although he opted to switch Arsenal's bench for Chelsea's only.

Lassana Diarra

Diarra signed for Chelsea as a 20-year-old in 2005 and struggled to get much game time behind Claude Makelele. He made just 31 appearances before being sold to Arsenal on transfer deadline day. He did not have a good impact on Emirates as well and this transfer did not create much fuss.

Yossi Benayoun

The former Israel international is fondly remembered for his spells in West Ham and Liverpool but he appeared for the two big London sides as well. The midfielder was signed for £5.5million by Chelsea from Liverpool in 2010 but was rarely used in his three seasons at the club. He made 24 appearances in all competitions and was loaned to Arsenal during the middle of this spell.