From hero to zero: 5 players that betrayed Arsenal this decade

3. Cesc Fabregas

This one had to hurt. Once being labelled as Arsenal’s wonderkid and even winning the Golden Boy award during his time at the Emirates Stadium, Cesc Fabregas soon left for bigger tenures. He signed for Barcelona in 2011 and later, in 2014, he signed for Chelsea.

He arrived as the talk of the town in London. Arsenal fans were ashamed of him, Chelsea fans were excited by him and Tottenham fans were scared of him. Naturally.

The Spaniard arrived with Diego Costa and they marked a turning point for Chelsea. Having previously failed in the season beforehand, Chelsea won the Premier League within the first season of signing Fabregas, with him and Costa forming a bromance which would soon be despised by the Arsenal faithful.

Fabregas won his first European title with Chelsea, having won the Europa League in his final season, beating none other than Arsenal in the final. Having failed in the Champions League final with the Gunners in 2016, this was a bittersweet moment for them to watch.

I suppose what hurt the most about Cesc Fabregas is that he was indicative of an era. He was a player that signified the start of the Emirates Stadium era, following the club’s transition from Highbury. All that was soon forgotten.