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Willian became only the seventh player since World War II to move directly from Chelsea to Arsenal after the Brazilian signed a three-year deal with the club. The 32-year-old joined Chelsea from Anzhi Makhachkala in 2013 and has arguably been one of the best players for the Blues in the last seven years.
The Brazilian has made 339 appearances and scored 63 times for the Blues. During this spell, he also won the two Premier Leagues, one League Cup, FA Cup, and the Europa League.
Quite a few names have crossed the London divide from Blue to Red. Late Northern Ireland midfielder Bill Dickson was the first player since the second world war to move from Chelsea to Arsenal.
With that in mind, here are the last five players to move from Chelsea to Arsenal.
The last five players to move from Chelsea to Arsenal
#1 David Luiz
The most recent name before Willian to join the list of players to move from Chelsea to Arsenal, David Luiz is arguably one of the best Brazilian players to have played in the Premier League.
The defender has had his fair share of ups and downs, but none can doubt the quality of the Brazilian. Luiz enjoyed two separate spells with the Blues before switching to Arsenal last season.
Luiz first moved to London in 2011 after an impressive spell with Benfica. During his first spell, the Brazilian won the Champions League, Europa League, and the FA Cup before moving to PSG in 2014.
Luiz's second spell was equally trophy-laden. The Brazilian won his first Premier League on his return and added his second FA Cup a year later. In his final game for the Blues, Luiz added his second Europa League crown after beating current employers Arsenal in 2019 final.
David Luiz's move to Arsenal was one of the most surprising transfers of the last summer. Despite his occasional errors, the Brazilian had been a regular for the Blues on his second stint. Chelsea's loss was Arsenal's gain as Luiz helped the Gunners win the FA Cup, their first trophy post the Wenger era.
With the Brazilian extending his stay at the Emirates, Arsenal will be hoping to add more trophies to their cabinet.
#2 Petr Cech
There is no doubting Petr Cech's place in the history of the Premier League. The Czech international, who holds the record for most Premier League cleans sheets, is arguably one of the greatest shot-stoppers in the history of the league.
Cech arrived in the Premier League in 2004 as part of the Chelsea revolution under Roman Abramovich. The custodian would go on to become a perennial presence in the Chelsea lineup for over ten seasons. During his early years at Chelsea, Cech was part of one of the meanest defenses in Premier League history. He was one of the key players that helped the Blues break the Manchester United-Arsenal stronghold over the league title.
Petr Cech enjoyed a highly successful eleven seasons at the Bridge. The shot-stopper was a key figure in establishing Chelsea as one of the best teams in the league. During this period, Cech won the four Premier Leagues, four FA Cups, three League Cups as well as one Champions League and Europa League.
A lack of first-team opportunities saw the custodian moving across London to join Arsenal in 2015. Despite his aging legs, Cech was still one of the best in business.
Cech helped the Gunners win the FA Cup as well finish runners up in the League Cup on two occasions. Quite fittingly, Petr Cech made his final appearance against the Blues in the Europa League final. Sadly for the goalkeeper, the game ended in defeat as his former employers scored four goals past him.
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#3 Lassana Diarra
Many people forget Lassana Diarra moved to Arsenal from Chelsea. The French midfielder was a highly sought-after talent when he made his move to the Bridge in 2005. Despite his reputation, Diarra enjoyed little success at Chelsea. The Frenchman struggled to break into a star-studded Chelsea midfield but still won the FA Cup and the League Cup.
Following a lack of first-team opportunities, the Frenchman moved to Arsenal in 2007. It's fair to say that the transfer didn't work out as well as how both parties wanted. Diarra just spent five months at Emirates before moving to Portsmouth in 2008.
#4 William Gallas
William Gallas is one of the few players to have played for the three biggest teams in London. The Frenchman started his Premier League career in Chelsea and was one of the last players to arrive at Stamford Bridge before the Abramovich takeover. Alongside John Terry, Gallas formed an impressive central defensive pairing as Chelsea won the FA Cup and back-to-back title under Jose Mourinho.
After more than 200 appearances for the Blues, Gallas joined Arsenal following wage disputes over his proposed new contract. The Frenchman never experienced any titles success at Emirates but was one of the best players for the Gunners during his tenure.
The defender played over 100 times for the North London side and captained the team for over a season. Contract disputes over his new wages once again meant Gallas moved on to a new club 2010.
William Gallas went on to sign for Spurs and spent three seasons there before joining A-league side Perth Glory before retiring from the game in 2014.
#5 George Graham
Yes, the legendary Arsenal player and manager moved to Highbury from Chelsea. Graham joined Chelsea from Aston Villa in 1964. The striker had two impressive seasons at Stamford Bridge and even ended the 1965-66 season as the club's top scorer. But, things were not rosy off the field.
The players and manager Tommy Docherty often clashed with each other. In one such instance, several players were sent home for breaking a pre-match curfew.
After two tumultuous seasons, Graham moved to Arsenal in 1966. The striker quickly established himself in the Arsenal lineup. Graham was a key figure in the Arsenal side that won the League, League Cup, and Inter-Fairs Cities Cup in the early 1970s.
He was the club's top scorer for two successive seasons but lost his place following the arrival of Alan Ball. George Graham spent seven seasons at Arsenal, made 308 appearances, and scored 78 goals before leaving the club in 1972.
Graham would play for Manchester United, Portsmouth, Crystal Palace, and NASL side California Surf before retiring in 1978.
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