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Liverpool meet Arsenal on Saturday in a vital Premier League clash. Liverpool are already leading the table with 51 points from 19 matches, while Arsenal are 5th with 38 points from the same number of matches.
Their meeting at the Emirates had ended in a very exciting 1-1 draw. However, Liverpool would start as strong favorites in Saturday’s match, and should fancy their chances of getting 3 more points.
Arsenal meanwhile would be happy if they are able to sneak out a single point from the match. They are undergoing a rough patch, and drew their last match against Brighton. Liverpool are favourites to win their 19th league title this season, while Arsenal have managed to win 13 till date.
There have been a few players who have played for both these big English clubs. We take a look at 3 of them in this article.
#1 Kolo Toure
Toure is one of the few Ivory Coast players who has had a successful stint in the Premier League. He was signed by Arsenal in 2002, and played for them till 2009. He was a strong and fast centre-back who formed a great partnership with Sol Campbell at the heart of Arsenal’s defence.
Toure was a part of the Invincibles under Arsene Wenger, as they won the Premier League without losing a match in 2003-04.
He also won the runners-up medal for Arsenal in the UEFA Champions League in 2005-06.Toure was a regular starter for the Gunners, and appeared in 329 matches. He also scored 14 goals for them.
After a very successful stint with Arsenal, Toure signed for Manchester City in 2009, and then for Liverpool in 2013, and went on to play for the Reds till 2016.
He struggled for a place in the starting line-up for Liverpool, as defenders like Daniel Agger and Martin Skrtel gave him stiff competition. Besides, Liverpool already had a reliable centre-back in Jamie Carragher who was still playing.
Toure managed to play in 71 matches for Liverpool, and scored 1 goal. He could not win any silverware for Liverpool though. Toure left Liverpool in 2016, and remains one of the few footballers to have played for both these English giants.
All stats via transfermarkt
#2 Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain
Oxlade-Chamberlain is a strong and hard-working defensive midfielder who can also play box-to-box or on the flanks. He is currently in Liverpool’s squad, but has not appeared in any matches for them this season, owing to an injury problem.
Chamberlain signed for Liverpool in 2017, and has played 42 matches for them. He has been able to claim a place in Liverpool’s resourceful midfield with his versatility.
He had a successful spell with Arsenal too, as he played for them from 2011 to 2017. He was an Arsene Wenger signing, and gave some domineering displays in the midfield for the Gunners.
Chamberlain is a good tackler and runner. He also has a good shot on him, and scored 20 goals in 198 matches for Arsenal. However, his relationship with Arsene Wenger soured, and he left Arsenal for Liverpool in 2017. He is still only 25 years old, and should have quite a few years left in him at the top level.
#3 Nicolas Anelka
The French striker played for a lot of clubs in his much traveled career, but arguably had one of his better spells with Arsenal from 1997 to 1999. A young Anelka made his debut as a professional player for French club PSG, but soon moved to Arsenal in 1997.
He was reasonably successful for Arsenal, and scored 28 goals in 90 matches for them. Compatriot Arsene Wenger was the manager of Arsenal during Anelka's stint with the club, and he performed reasonably well for the Gunners. He also won a Premier League title in his debut season at the London club.
Anelka went to Real Madrid in 1999, and then played for Liverpool for a solitary season on loan. He played for Liverpool in 22 matches, and also scored 5 goals.
Anelka was an opportunistic and fast striker, but often lacked the single-minded focus and temperament to succeed consistently in top-level football. Still he managed to play for a number of big clubs, including Arsenal and Liverpool.
