The ties between Arsenal and Chelsea run throughout the two teams as the London derby between the sides had a little extra bite on Sunday.
Plenty of players have crossed the red and blue divide, but two of them featured for the Gunners in the form of Declan Rice and Kai Havertz.
The former was a youngster in the academy in west London before he moved on to join West Ham – where he went on to be a star and join Arsenal in a club-record transfer.
As for Havertz, he joined Chelsea from Bayer Leverkusen and went on to make some memorable moments at the club, including their Champions League-winning goal in 2021.
Both are now lining up for Arsenal and got a strange reception when appearing for the side at Stamford Bridge on Sunday.
Chelsea chant at Declan Rice and Kai Havertz
As soon as the game kicked off, the Chelsea fans were hostile towards Arsenal pair Rice and Havertz and their ties to the club.
As the former looked to take a corner in front of the home fans, the chant “Chelsea reject” came out from the stands.
That honour was also bestowed to Havertz, who received the exact same treatment when he was given time on the ball.
It may be something of a laugh from the home fans, but it also sums up the rather ridiculous hypocrisy that follows.
Firstly, looking at Havertz, the forward had clearly created great memories while at Chelsea, even if he didn’t hit the heights expected.
His move to the Emirates Stadium was one that clearly benefitted all parties and has done ever since the switch.
Looking at Rice, it’s clear that for many years Chelsea tried to fix the mistake of letting him leave the academy for West Ham.
Frank Lampard and Thomas Tuchel tried for years to bring him back to Stamford Bridge, though ultimately he ended up joining Arsenal.
Declan Rice and Kai Havertz transfers have been key for Arsenal
One man’s trash is another man’s treasure and if it’s to be said that Rice and Havertz are Chelsea rejects, then the pair certainly have been anything but rejects for Arsenal.
Rice has added a steely resolve to the middle of the pitch that allows the side to control large spaces and stop transitions.
On top of that he’s brought an ability to whip in set-pieces with pinpoint accuracy, something the side are now reaping the rewards of.
Havertz hasn’t been that 20-goal striker that the side are looking for, but his goal input and general off-the-ball ability has been incredibly useful.
In all they’ve helped the Gunners become even more competitive at the top, it’s just time for the project to reach the next stage.
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