Lack Of Support From Arsenal Drove Anelka Out

Nicolas Anelka is Chelsea's and the Premier League’s top scorer so far this season with 12 goals and is hoping to collect his first championship medal since the one picked up with Arsenal almost a decade ago.

 

Mind you, that must seem like a lifetime for the Frenchman who has since plied his trade with Real Madrid, PSG, Liverpool, Man City, Fenerbahce, and Bolton, before moving on to Stamford Bridge.

 

At the time though, Arsenal supporters were stunned when he walked away from Highbury to join Real Madrid after just two seasons.

 

The Frenchman might have taken time to settle in, with only nine goals in his first season but he’d bagged 22 in his second term. He’d also been a part of their League and Cup double in 1998, scoring in the FA Cup final, so why would he want to leave?

 

Well, Anelka has come out and said that despite the part he’d played in his two seasons there, he was pretty pissed off to find out he couldn’t live up to Ian Wright’s status as far as the supporters were concerned, so he decided to sling his hook.

 

Anelka explains “When I started the season there was a poll because I had taken the place of Ian Wright. I thought the fans really wanted it to be me and were pleased with me.But seeing the result in the papers and on TV hit me hard because I had done things for nothing.  I thought ‘So that’s how it is. This is how you thank me. Okay now you watch what is going to happen. I am going to play, score my goals and just when you are saying Anelka, Anelka that’s when I’m going to leave.’ And that is exactly what I did because I was furious with them.”

 

Not that he fancied telling Wenger much, because he adds, “I am not saying I was ashamed, but I felt something and had no wish to tell him face to face that I wanted to go.  It’s as if it was a betrayal. I didn’t want to tell him because he represented someone extraordinary in my life.”

 

Good job he ain’t playing second fiddle to Drogba then!