David Luiz’s recent headed goal for the Gunners earned him a place in a very exclusive club of goal scorers in the Premier League. Despite the fact that he is only a defender, Luiz became one of only eight players who have scored for both Arsenal and Chelsea in the Premier League during its 28 seasons so far. Even more surprisingly he is not alone, with two other defenders making the list, along with three midfielders. Remarkably, only two fully fledged forwards have bagged this rare brace.
Of course, Luiz is no stranger to important goals. While his recent effort keeps Arsenal firmly in the race for the Premier League title, he also scored for Chelsea in their 2-0 win over previously unbeaten Manchester City last season, as well as scoring a vital penalty in their EFL Cup shootout against Spurs. Luiz scored just five times in 79 appearances for Chelsea, so he is already well ahead of his average at The Emirates.
Dazzling defenders
Joining David Luiz in the defenders double club are Frenchman, William Gallas and England legend, Ashley Cole. Gallas scored twelve goals each for Arsenal and Chelsea, joining the double club with a goal for the Gunners in the game against Sheffield United in September 2006. No stranger to the score sheet, he had previously scored against the likes of Liverpool and Manchester United in his Chelsea days. Unlike Luiz and Gallas, Ashley Cole started at Arsenal before moving to Chelsea. He scored eight times for the Gunners and seven for the Blues.
Magical midfielders
There are three midfielders who have scored the rare brace: Frenchman Emanuel Petit, Spaniard Cesc Fabregas and Israeli Yossi Benayoun. Benayoun only just scraped into the elite club, scoring just once for Chelsea (during their 6-0 demolition of Wigan Athletic in 2010) before moving to Arsenal on loan in 2011. At Arsenal he scored just four goals in his single season, opening his account with a header to secure victory against Villa in the dying minutes of the game.
Emanuel Petit enjoyed longer spells at both clubs, turning out for the Gunners from 1997 to 2000 and the Blues from 2001 to 2004. He also spent a brief spell at Camp Nou with Barcelona in between. He scored nine times in eighty five games for the Gunners and twice in fifty five appearances for Chelsea.
By far the most prolific of the midfield double squad is Cesc Fabregas. He was a regular feature for Arsenal between 2003 and 2011 before moving to Chelsea in 2014, again with a spell at Barcelona in between. He scored 35 times for Arsenal and 15 times for Chelsea
Fabulous forwards
You would expect the strikers to take up the bulk of the list of players who have scored for both clubs, but there are just two of them amongst the eight. Oliver Giroud scored an impressive 73 goals in 180 appearances for Arsenal between 2012 and 2018, before moving across London to Chelsea. He joined the double club in style, scoring twice after coming on as substitute to turn a 2-0 deficit against Southampton into a 3-2 win for the Blues.
Nicolas Anelka took a much more circuitous route between the capital’s clubs. Having played for Arsenal in 1997-1999, his career took him to Real Madrid, Paris Saint-Germain, Liverpool, Manchester City, Fenerbahçe and Bolton Wanderers, before he finally arrived at Stamford Bridge in 2008. His globe-trotting continued to the end of his playing career, with stints in Shanghai, Juventus and Mumbai. He scored 23 times for the Gunners and 38 times for the Blues.
The double double
Perhaps most impressive of all the double club members is Cesc Fabregas. He not only gains a place in the elite list of players who have scored for both teams, he is also the only player to have scored for both teams, against both teams, in the Premier League, with a goal for Arsenal against Chelsea in 05/06 and Chelsea against Arsenal in 16/17. Olivier Giroud almost did the same double, scoring for Arsenal against Chelsea in the Premier League in 2016 and for Chelsea against Arsenal in last year’s Europa League final.
