It is the international break, which means it is time for a list.
Following on from the Gunners who chose not to celebrate against their former club, I thought it only fair to include the opposite…
Paul Merson
When scoring against Arsenal for Middlesbrough and then Aston Villa, Paul Merson not only celebrated but appeared giddy at the prospect of getting one over on the Gunners.
The 57-year-old has always maintained that his love for football meant he felt a connection with all the clubs he played for.
Yet the pundit has since admitted he regretted ever leaving Highbury, claiming the gambler in him could not look past the fact that on Teesside he was being offered a longer contract.
In his own mind, did Merson think he was proving a point?
David O’Leary
In his first managerial job, David O’Leary naturally put his coaching career above his former club, especially as he built a young Leeds squad many believed could compete for the Premiership.
Yet some Gooners felt the now 67-year-old was a little too happy on the occasions he beat Arsenal, in particular during his celebrations after a 1-0 win for Leeds in 1999 which effectively knocked Arsenal out of the title race in the final week of the season.
Nicolas Anelka
Since retiring, the Frenchman has admitted regretting leaving Arsenal and even being open to reuniting with Arsène Wenger during his Bolton days.
Anelka seemed to have his own rules when it came to scoring against his former club. He would celebrate at his current home ground but not if he scored at Highbury or the Emirates.
Watch here: Anelka vs Arsenal
Ashley Cole
This one is a little different. The left-back did not actually score on his second return to the Emirates, but Frank Lampard, Didier Drogba and the away fans treated him as if he had.
In reality, it was his cross that created an own goal. The defender was happy to take the acclaim, having long felt let down by Arsenal – by the club for going back on a verbal agreement over a contract extension, and by some Gooners for waving fake banknotes and singing vile chants about him.
Watch here: Cole vs Arsenal
David Bentley
No one can deny the midfielder’s opening goal in the famous North London Derby that finished 4-4 was of real quality.
His celebrations were, however, rather cringe-worthy, as he reacted to a draw at the final whistle as if he had just won the World Cup.
In many ways, that night summed up the 41-year-old’s career – blessed with technique but lacking professionalism, and showing a lack of respect for the club that gave him his opportunity.
Watch here: Bentley vs Arsenal
Emmanuel Adebayor
One of the first to leave Arsenal for Manchester City due to the new-found wealth at the Etihad.
When scoring against us, Adebayor felt the need to run the length of the pitch to knee-slide in front of the Gunners’ fans.
The now 41-year-old has since spoken about the level of abuse he received from sections of our fanbase, including chants about his family and even mocking the terrorist attack on the Togo national team bus.
Watch here: Adebayor vs Arsenal
Cesc Fàbregas
By 2010, it had become a yearly saga that Cesc Fàbregas would return to Barcelona. It was a case of when, not if.
Arsène Wenger most likely convinced his midfielder to stay a couple of years longer than he wanted to, but not without unhelpful distractions.
As Spain celebrated winning the World Cup, Fàbregas was playfully forced by his international teammates to wear a Barcelona shirt, fully aware of the speculation.
Our captain saw the funny side, but it was disrespectful to the club that had given him the platform to play on the world stage.
Watch here: Fàbregas in Barca Shirt
Samir Nasri
Upset by Nasri’s departure in the same summer as Fàbregas, Arsenal fans did not hide their feelings and on more than one occasion threatened him with violence when he returned to the Emirates.
It may not have surprised many that when he won the Premier League, Nasri celebrated on social media by mocking Gooners, asking them to celebrate finishing third.
The midfielder highlighted the irony of being accused of moving to Manchester City for money, pointing out that he could have earned well by staying in North London – just without winning any silverware.
Watch here: Nasri vs Arsenal
Robin van Persie
In his first season away from North London, Van Persie chose not to celebrate when scoring against Arsenal home and away.
By his second season at Old Trafford, however, the Dutchman had clearly changed his mind. This time, he slid on his knees and roared in defiance.
Perhaps he felt a year was enough for everyone to move on, but it was more likely a reaction to vile chants that had followed him since he left the Emirates.
Watch here: Van Persie vs Arsenal
Olivier Giroud
It was painful enough to watch a former player score against us in the Europa League final, but Giroud was respectful in his celebrations and post-match interview.
It was on the team bus where he mockingly thanked Arsenal while lifting the trophy – a moment his Chelsea teammates were quick to share online.
To be fair, Giroud had become an afterthought by the time he moved to Stamford Bridge, and many Gooners were happy with his departure as it facilitated the signing of Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang.
The Frenchman has made a career of proving doubters wrong and, given what some fans called him, perhaps he deserved the last laugh.
Watch here: Giroud vs Arsenal
Old-school Gooners, add some names in the comments.
Dan Smith
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I was happy to see the back of Adebayor and Cole. All the others I had my share of disappointment, but I understood why they wanted to leave.
See I loved Cole mate
Dan,
I liked him to, until those secret meetings. 🤷♂️
Derek, what’s you view on Liam Brady ?
Herr Drier,
I’m not sure what happened regarding Brady leaving. But I do believe you’ve told me in earlier posts of his secret conversations with Juventus if my memory serves me correctly. Apologies if it doesn’t.
The Cole saga is grating because, while Arsenal may have gone back on the deal first offered, Cole had a choice. He could have put in a transfer request if he felt hard done by. But no he didn’t, he went behind Arsenal’s back, and the even bigger joke is, when he was caught out he accused Arsenal of leaving him hanging out to dry.
Derek no need for an apology fella.
It was Uli Hoeness of Bayern Munich he spoke to while still under contract to us. At that time players didn’t have the right to talk to officials of clubs outside of their national federation.
Herr Drier,
Thank you for educating me. Every day’s a school day as they say. 👍
Lol mate! Aliadiere scoring maybe a decisive header for Boro. I think he is now working for Arsenal commentary crew. Mavropanos of West Ham of course subdued but his goal was a sucker punch that effectively ended our title race. Aubameyang of Chelsea wanted it too much as per his pre match declaration but was anonymous in the game. Smith Rowe has not yet scored but we should be wary of him in the next match after the int’l break. How about Paul Dickov? Quinn?
Theo Walcott 3rd killer goal at Emirates for Southampton. Did he wink like Ronaldo was doing against the dismissal of Rooney? Some say so.
David Seaman playing for City he even almost allowed us to score against him. Maybe 2 goals. Virtually he did so those gifts! Organic Gunner I really love David!
I always felt that Arsenal fans didn’t appreciate Giroud’s qualities enough and was very unhappy when he was sold and replaced with inferior strikers like Lacazzete and Aubemeyang
Matthew,
I to like Giroud, but your comment of Aubameyang being inferior just isn’t true. Just look at Aubameyang’s goal scoring record where ever he’s been.
And I’ll even go as far as to say, had Arsenal signed a young Aubameyang and he stayed at Arsenal longer, you’d have had a good chance that you would be looking at the clubs all time record goal scorer.
A bit controversial I know, but with his prolific goal scoring record at other clubs. If he brought that to Arsenal, maybe my claim is not so fanciful after all. 🤷♂️
Giroud scored over 100 goals for Arsenal in less than 5 years of limited playing time but Aubameyang didn’t reach that level.
Matthew, Giroud was here for 5 and a half years, and 16 goals is the most he scored in a single season in the PL.
In his time as an Arsenal player he played just over 250 games and scored just 105 goals.
Same here. I spoke to David Seaman at a charity gig and after a few drinks, I asked him about Ashley Cole, and he said the truth has never come out about the situation, Wenger got rid of the World’s best left back for five million and a grumpy defender. Cole won everything at Chelsea and we won nothing in his time, only when he left we finally won the FA Cup. So I never joined in with the chants at Cole, same with RVP, who spoke the truth in that interview. Who sells our best striker to our rivals who end up winning the PL.Wenger as good as he was, Wenger made huge mistakes
Arsenal never played to Giroud’s strengths. He had to be paired with a mobile striker to get the best out of him. He was instrumental in winning the world cup for France alongside Mbappe/Griezmann. We could have played OG with Auba. With due respect OG was much superior to Lacazette
All of those players mentioned had their brief moments when playing against us, but was there ever really one who stuck it to us over a period?
Allot did simply by trophies they went on to win elsewhere
Yeah, all those guys who went to City was hard to swallow, seeing them win all that stuff.
Jax,
Adebayor scored 3 P/L Goals and 1 EFL Goal against us.
Anelka sored 2 goals for Chelsea against us, 1 in 2009 and 1 in 2010.
Robin Van Persie scored 3 against us. 1 in 2013 and 2 in 2014. 👍
Good stats👍
And anelka even more then that if you count Bolton and Man City
Derek, they had their moments, but none have monstered us in the manner of a Drogba for example. So we’ve not done that badly out of losing some star players.
Jax,
Having looked on Google. It now appears that Anelka has been quite a thorn in our side over time.
According to Google, he scored 5 times against us for Manchester City, 4 times for Chelsea, and 2 times for Bolton Wanderer’s. so 11 goals in total.
So is this the most by an Ex Arsenal player against them. Can anyone better it?. I look forward to seeing if it can be bettered. 👍
Looks like he’s the one then Derek. On the plus side, the money we got for him financed the training centre refurb and bought us the greatest striker in our history.
Jax,
You say the greatest striker in our history. I never know you were a fan of Lee Chapman. Now there’s a blast from the past. 😂🤣
Just ask him about Eric and his wife Ashley
Her name’s: Ash.
…Leslie Ash
Jax,
The Eric that you talk of, is it Eric Cantona. And if so, are you suggesting that there was a thing between Eric and Lesley?.
Nothing to do with me Derek, I was just correcting his misnaming/spelling of Chapman’s wife. I know nothing of their personal lives, other than that they had a bar a few miles from where I lived.
Jax,
My apologies, I really must learn to read the names above said post. What am I like.😂🤦♂️
My correction needs correcting😂Lesley as mentioned by Derek.
Foreverinourshadow,
I’ll ask you what I mistakenly asked Jax. Is the Eric your talking of Eric Cantona. If so are you suggesting that there was a thing between Eric and Lesley?.
Derek, I wonder if it had anything to do with Chapman being nicked for assault on his Mrs ?
Herr Drier,
I still want to know who this Eric fella is.
Regarding Chapman and his arrest for assault on his wife, I forgot about that until you refreshed my memory.
Also just another bit of information on his wife. She nearly died from the reaction to a procedure she had done to her lips. You can still see the after effects to this day when you see her on the TV.
Derek, I would imagine it’s Eric Cantona.
Or Clapton, Bristow, Idle, Morecombe or all at once😱
Didn’t she have a condition that kept her in a wheelchair?
A quick check on Google shows Chapman and Cantona were at Leeds together. It was a rumour about Ash…. Or so they say
My memories about her were her mega Botox trout lips which may have triggered other health issues. She wasn’t a well bunny
Players doing the dirty deed on us is one thing but how do we feel when former managers are in the opposing dug outs
I personally was gutted to see GG take up the reins of the spuds.
Could never see him in the same light even with all the glory he brought to us when he done that
AB, I was gutted as well when he took that job. It may well have been to do with how things ended with us in ’95. The club had promised him a testimonial and to pay off the majority of his contract if he quit at the end of the season. He agreed and handed in his letter of resignation. The club then went back of their word and said they wouldn’t like it if he managed one of our rivals.
That Olivier Giroud at Arsenal was not surrounded by good forwards, is not quite true, and he could have won the league with Arsenal the season Leicester won, but the very players around him, held an infamous meeting, maybe they were listening to fans too much, where Sanchez, Ozil and Theo reprimanded OG for missed goals, that was followed by long goals draught for OG, until a ball fell kindly to him towards end of that season. Eventually, it led to Sanchez leaving and fall, Theo leaving and ……
While OG went on to shine like a million star. I think he’s currently France’s highest GS, played two WC finals, maybe he would have won twice if he had not scored at the second too, only God knows.
I love OG, his goals were deliberate strikes, intentional.
Jax,
I believe your correct, I do seem to remember Lesley Ash being wheel chair bound at some point.
As for this Eric fella. Here’s one to add to your list Jax. Eric Sykes.😂
They do actually have to have been alive at the time Derek 😁
SueP,
😂🤣😂🤣😂🤣👍
TBH I didn’t hear of any of that stuff and am sorry at being so disrespectful earlier I loved her in MBB.