They’re constantly getting into scuffles here in the Football Transfer Tavern with both Arsenal and Chelsea fans rarely seeing eye to eye throughout the course of a league campaign.
The ill-feeling between London’s finest has also just been intensified by the fact Petr Cech has traded Stamford Bridge for Emirates Stadium and we’d be lying if we claimed a few wars of words hadn’t been taking place by the bar this week.
When all said and done, the simple matter of fact is that Arsenal are that much more stronger with Cech in their ranks than they were previously and if it was on Jose Mourinho’s watch, the transfer would’ve never come to avail.
At the end of the day, Chelsea already boast a superb number one in Thibaut Courtois and when you consider Stoke City’s Asmir Begovic is set to arrive as number two, the Blues aren’t really in a bad place at all, are they?
In an attempt to keep the peace between both Arsenal and Chelsea, our landlord has at least tried to peace-make by getting both sets of fans to work on a best combined eleven between the sides.
Here’s what they came up with; do you agree with their selections?
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Click on the image below to reveal the best Arsenal and Chelsea combined XI.
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Thibaut Courtois
The best goalkeeper in the Premier League at present?
Manchester United fans may argue that David De Gea is but Belgian stopper Courtois has been a revelation between the sticks for Chelsea.
Boasting a confident assuredness / arrogance about his game, Courtois boasts the ability to pull off remarkable saves with his 6 ft 6 in frame.
For most of the time, the Belgian is already protected by an imperious back four but when called upon, he is ready and concentrated and this isn’t something we can call Wojciech Szczesny at all!
Branislav Ivanovic
A model of consistency in his time spent at Stamford Bridge, Branislav Ivanovic rarely makes a mistake in Chelsea’s rearguard.
Equally adept at centre back as he is at right back, Ivanovic seems the model professional who gets on with his job week in, week out with little fuss and maximum determination and grit.
The thing about the Serb is that he is great going forward as well with his raiding runs down the right flank, not to mention his heading ability from corners and set pieces.
An obvious choice for the right back berth in this combined eleven.
Laurent Koscielny
Linked with Real Madrid of late, that proves Laurent Koscielny has been doing something right in Arsenal’s defence in recent seasons.
Plucked from relative obscurity by Arsene Wenger, Koscielny has developed into an extremely reliable defender who boasts speedy recovery pace and an excellent tackling ability.
It would be a great shame if Arsenal were to lose their French international defender this summer with the player often bringing the best out of Per Mertesacker when they’re deployed together at the back.
Also popping up with the odd goal as well, Koscielny pips Gary Cahill to this centre back position.
John Terry
We simply couldn’t leave him out after the 2014/15 season he just enjoyed.
Producing his very best form on a week in, week out basis, John Terry seemed a man reborn after a spell in which he was written off by interim manager Rafael Benitez.
While witnessing Frank Lampard depart Stamford Bridge in acrimonious circumstances, Terry has gone about his latter playing days in fine style, producing leadership abilities and fine tackling on a consistent basis.
Having been there and done it before, Terry would’ve been a valuable asset to be around for the younger players in the final weeks of the season where Chelsea simply had to get across the line.
Cesar Azpilicueta
A player who has got better and better and is now a firm fixture at left back in Chelsea’s favoured starting eleven.
A former favourite of Rafael Benitez, Azpilicueta has managed to stay in the Blues’ team under the watchful eye of Jose Mourinho and it’s no wonder with the Spanish international combining attacking prowess with solid defensive performances.
Rarely putting a foot wrong like Ivanovic, Azpilicueta’s form was ultimately the reason why Chelsea decided to part with Ashley Cole and you can’t say that the Blues are missing the former England international at present, can you?
Santi Cazorla
The Spanish magician just enjoyed an incredible 2014/15 season on a personal note, performing admirably in a new found deeper midfield role for the Gunners.
Able to dictate the pace of a game with his passing ability and confident assurance with the ball, Santi Cazorla is one of Arsenal’s most important players who can also take set pieces while being reliable from the penalty spot.
Also able to get himself out of tight situations with his two footedness, Cazorla fits that midfield maestro category of sought-after footballers.
Pipping Cesc Fabregas to this midfield slot, we’ve selected Cazorla for his consistency in performances for the entire duration of the season with Fabregas having faded in the second half of the campaign – something that seems to have occurred to him for the majority of his career thus far.
Nemanja Matic
While Francis Coquelin is up-and-coming in the holding midfield role, one man who has been doing it for longer, so much so that it is sometimes now referred to as the ‘Matic role’, Nemanja Matic is a no-brainer in this combined eleven.
The Serbian international provides significant cover to Chelsea’s back four with tackling abilities and pure strength in abundance.
Able to go toe to toe with the likes of Yaya Toure, Matic has been a vital cog in Chelsea securing their first league title for five years last term.
In a clear case of having to go away to prove himself at Benfica, Matic left a boy and has returned a man with his performances setting the benchmark for defensive midfielders everywhere.
Eden Hazard
The PFA Player of the Year had to be included in this combined eleven, such are the abilities that Eden Hazard possesses in his locker.
With the football seemingly stuck to his boot, the Belgian international rarely gives the ball away as he terrorises opposition defences with his low centre of gravity and trickery down the right or left flanks.
Chelsea’s go-to man on the rare occasions where the going gets tough, Hazard boasts creative flair in abundance and is difficult to stop when in full flow, often sent tumbling to the ground when defenders ill-time challenges on the winger.
A wonderful talent and somebody who’ll only get better with each passing season.
Mesut Ozil
We started to see the best of Mesut Ozil once again in the second half of last season where the German international got a kind of swagger back into his game.
Performing admirably in Arsenal’s 4-1 demolition of Liverpool at Emirates Stadium, Ozil has benefitted from being reinstalled in his favoured number 10 position while threading through perfectly weighted passes to the Gunners’ attack.
Criticised by pundits and fans alike for a lack of perceived desire on the pitch, Ozil was far more consistent in his performances towards the end of the season while producing the goods on a week to week basis.
After two full seasons in English football now, Ozil will only be better for the experience.
Alexis Sanchez
Unlucky to lose out on the PFA Player of the Year crown to the equally outstanding Eden Hazard, Alexis Sanchez took to English football like a duck to water in his first season last term.
The Chilean was single handedly carrying Arsenal for long periods of the first half of last season with the best thing about Alexis being his desire to work hard despite his obvious mercurial talents.
A leader with tremendous trickery and pace, Alexis frightens opposition defenders with his direct running abilities and we even saw the Chilean chip in with headers too last term.
Seemingly boasting everything in his locker, Alexis takes up the left flank in this dream eleven with Hazard on the other – what a frightening prospect.
Diego Costa
Striking 20 goals in 26 Premier League appearances in his first season in England, Chelsea have finally managed to secure a big name striker who can do it on a consistent basis in Diego Costa.
The Spanish international is clinical in every regard and that was particularly showcased away at Everton where Costa almost single handedly saw off the Toffees with his fantastic shooting ability.
Boasting a spiky edge to his game to boot, Costa plays the game on the edge and although this has its merits, it also has its drawbacks too with the player needing to reign in the attitude on some occasions.
That said, that same street fighter-like attitude makes Costa the player he is and the player he is is someone who is completely lethal in front of goal and more than deserving of his place in this combined eleven ahead of Olivier Giroud.
