In this article, we present to you our top 5 picks for the most standout players that have represented both Tottenham and Arsenal.
Sol Campbell
A Spurs academy graduate, Campbell represented the Lilywhites for nine years before crossing the North London divide in 2001. He’d represent the Gunners for half a decade before moving to Portsmouth for three seasons. In the summer of ’09, one of England’s finest-ever defenders made an interesting call of signing a five-year deal with fourth-tier side Notts County, a contract he terminated roughly a month later as the move failed in spectacular fashion. He then went on to play for Arsenal for the second half of the 2009/10 season.
Interestingly, all the moves Campbell made over the course of his career were free transfers. In all, he represented Tottenham 303 times and Arsenal 211.
William Gallas
Gallas first arrived in London at Chelsea, moving from Marseille in a €9.3m move in the summer of 2001. Five years later he would move to Arsenal on a free transfer, repeating this same trick to cross the North London divide four years later as he moved to Tottenham.
Across all competitions, the former France international made 142 appearances for the Gunners, while for the Lilywhites he played 78 times.
Emmanuel Adebayor
One can safely say that the Togolese legend had antagonised himself among the Arsenal faithful well before he moved to Tottenham thanks to that celebration he pulled out after scoring against the Gunners for Man City.
Arriving at Arsenal from Monaco in January 2006 in a €10m move, Adebayor would go on to establish himself as one of the hottest Premier League prospects over the next three and a half years, delivering 62 goals and 19 assists in 142 appearances, before moving to a resurgent Man City in 2009 for €29 million. Chances would come scarcely at the Etihad, however, and Adebayor would return to North London but this time with Spurs, for whom he delivered 42 goals and 17 assists in 113 appearances.
David Bentley
Bentley is remembered these days as the Beckham regen who didn’t quite make it, though those comparisons arrived for a reason.
Graduating from the Arsenal academy, Bentley never really received many chances at Highbury, so after he impressed at Blackburn on a season-long loan spell in 05/06, he went back there for good for €1.75 million. Ewood Park would go on to witness Bentley at his very best as he delivered for the Riversiders 21 goals and 22 assists in 140 appearances, prompting Spurs to bring him back to North London in ’08 for €22 million, which was quite the fee at the time and one they must now wish they hadn’t paid.
Apart from fleeting moments, Bentley’s move to White Hart Lane simply did not work out. What followed then were a flurry of loan spells, but even a last-ditch return to Blackburn could not save him from falling out of love with the game before he hung up his boots in 2014 at the age of 29.
Pat Jennings
Going a bit back with this one, but Pat Jennings might just be the only player on this list whom the fans of both Spurs and Arsenal would consider a legend for both the sides.
The Northern Ireland international first joined Tottenham from local side Watford in 1964 and would go on to represent them for 13 years, making
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