Picking an Ultimate Arsenal-Chelsea XI Since 2000
This weekend the Premier League will be treated to another high-octane London derby as Arsenal face Chelsea.
It's normally a top-of-the-table clash, but given Chelsea's struggles this season, the focus is more on whether Guus Hiddink's side can upset the Gunners' title credentials.
Chelsea are languishing in the bottom half of the table, while Arsenal currently sit top thanks to a superior goal difference over Leicester City.
While 14 places may separate these clubs at present, the truth is that little has since the turn of the century.
Since 2000, we have been treated to watching some of the world's finest talent compete for Arsenal and Chelsea. We've seen unforgiving defenders and prolific goalscorers; wing wizards and record-breaking goalkeepers.
With the teams coming head-to-head at the Emirates Stadium on Sunday, it got us thinking: If there were an ultimate Arsenal-Chelsea XI, who would make the cut?
The only condition is that a player must have played for either club since 2000.
So, here we go...
Goalkeeper
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Petr Cech
There's no argument to Petr Cech being our No. 1 here. Since he made his Premier League debut in August 2004, he's been an outstanding addition to English football.
He spent 11 years at Stamford Bridge, where he lifted every possible trophy in club football, including four Premier League titles, the Champions League and Europa League. Now Arsenal's goalkeeper, he's proving a major reason why the Gunners sit top of the table at present.
Also this season, Cech broke the Premier League's record for clean sheets, outlining his consistent brilliance over the past decade and more.
Cech wouldn't just make it into a Chelsea-Arsenal XI since the turn of the century; he'd be the No. 1 for an all-Premier League side.
Defenders
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Right-back: Branislav Ivanovic
Forget the decline we've seen from Branislav Ivanovic this season. Up to now, he's been one of the best right-backs in Premier League history, offering a goal threat as well as a strong defensive option.
The Serbian has just signed a new one-year contract extension to keep him at Stamford Bridge beyond this season. That's payment for the service he has given the club since his arrival in January 2008.
Ivanovic was signed as a centre-back, but he's made the right side of defence his own.
Looking through the Chelsea and Arsenal annals since 2000, there isn't a right-back who has been as consistently good.
Centre-back: Sol Campbell
Sol Campbell may have arrived under at Arsenal under a cloud, but Gunners fans worried not about the circumstances of his move.
They were right not to. When Campbell swapped Tottenham Hotspur for Arsenal in 2001, the Gunners knew what they were getting. Campbell was one of the finest defenders of his generation and played a massive role in the success Arsenal enjoyed during his five years with the club.
Campbell was a rare breed: good in possession, but equally powerful and intimidating when it came to defending.
Playing alongside John Terry, he'd ensure our Arsenal-Chelsea XI had the ultimate defensive line.
Centre-back: John Terry
Forget Arsenal or Chelsea: Has any other Premier League defender this century matched John Terry as a player, leader or winner?
We would be hard-pressed to find one.
Terry is top of the pile when it comes to defenders, and his leadership under Roman Abramovich has been exemplary. In the good times and bad, he has never wilted.
Had Arsenal had a leader such as Terry within their ranks, there's every chance they wouldn't have gone a decade without claiming another league title.
He's been the embodiment of everything that's been great about Chelsea.
Left-back: Ashley Cole
Like Petr Cech, Ashley Cole has represented both Chelsea and Arsenal in his distinguished career. He was part of the Gunners' incredible "Invincibles" campaign, when Arsene Wenger's men went undefeated en route to lifting the Premier League trophy in 2004.
He later joined the Blues in 2006, with whom he won the FA Cup four times, the Premier League, Europa League and the biggest prize of them all, the Champions League.
Cole was an outstanding performer in a red or blue jersey, and put simply, no Arsenal or Chelsea left-back since 2000 has come close to matching him.
Midfielders
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We've opted for a three-man midfield, playing a 4-3-1-2 formation. Adopting this system allows for us to integrate one of the many magicians who have represented Arsenal and Chelsea as No. 10.
Right midfield: Frank Lampard
There hasn't been a better goalscoring midfielder in the Premier League than Frank Lampard. His stats show that, as Lampard is also the all-time goalscorer in Chelsea's history.
Lampard didn't come with any eye-catching flick and tricks. He was much more refined than that, doing the simple things in games effectively.
He mastered the art of arriving late in and around the box to finish off attacking moves or even to pick up the scraps to score goals. His vision was exemplary, too, with the likes of Didier Drogba often rewarded.
Lampard was the ultimate box-to-box midfielder and would guarantee goals for our ultimate Arsenal-Chelsea XI.
Central midfield: Patrick Vieira
Frank Lampard and Patrick Vieira are now working together at New York City FC—the latter being appointed as manager this winter.
Imagine the pair together in midfield during their prime. It's a mouth-watering prospect.
Every team needs a bit of bite in the middle of the park, and Vieira never shirked his responsibilities in that sense. He was much more than an battler, though; Vieira was an extremely gifted footballer, and his marauding runs through midfield were a sight to behold.
He was the complete midfielder, capable of defending and attacking.
Left midfield: Robert Pires
Arsene Wenger has relied on a contingent of French players during various spells as Arsenal manager for good reason; when they're as talented as Robert Pires, you invariably win things. That's what Arsenal did.
Pires was exciting to watch. He was quick, allowing Arsenal to counter teams, but he also came with bundles of skill to get him out of tight areas.
Added to that, Pires wasn't shy of a goal and contributed with 62 Premier League goals for the Gunners.
He was a wonderful player for the Gunners.
No. 10
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Gianfranco Zola
This was a difficult decision, given the talent that has passed through the Arsenal and Chelsea teams since the turn of the century.
Dennis Bergkamp is one of the names that stands out for the Gunners, while Juan Mata—despite only spending two-and-a-half seasons at Stamford Bridge—was phenomenal for Chelsea.
Gianfranco Zola just edges it, though.
The diminutive Italian was a major influence in west London, and it was his capture in late 1996 that helped deliver the FA Cup for Chelsea later that season.
He continued to be a major influence at Chelsea until he departed in 2003. He helped them into the Champions League for their first foray in the competition in the early part of the century while also playing a major part in their getting back to Europe's top table in 2003.
He truly was a magician, and his approach to the game meant he was loved by neutrals as much as he was Chelsea supporters.
Strikers
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Didier Drogba and Thierry Henry
It's impossible to split them, so we thought we should discuss the merits of Didier Drogba and Thierry Henry together.
Chelsea fans will say Drogba was the better player; Arsenal fans will opt for Henry.
The truth is, they were both truly magical players whose significant contributions have helped make the Premier League the spectacle that it is.
We need only think of Henry's improvised goal against Manchester United at Highbury—he flicked the ball into his path before turning and smashing it over Fabian Barthez—to remember what a fine talent he was.
Henry scored all sorts of goals. From picking up possession in deep positions to run at teams to the odd tap-in, the Frenchman was a major threat.
As was Drogba, who built his reputation around his powerful style. Drogba bullied and harried defenders like few strikers have in the history of the Premier League, as some Arsenal centre-backs can testify.
Even at 37 years old, he was helping Chelsea win the Premier League title last season.
Between them, Henry and Drogba scored 279 Premier League goals for Arsenal and Chelsea. There really is no contest as to who would lead the line in an ultimate Arsenal-Chelsea XI.
Garry Hayes is Bleacher Report's lead Chelsea correspondent. All quotes were obtained firsthand unless otherwise noted. Follow him on Twitter @garryhayes
