Top 10 Players to play for both Manchester City and Arsenal

Many legendary footballers have played for both clubs over the years.

Manchester City versus Arsenal is slowly turning out to be a fierce rivalry. Especially now it has been often labeled as a battle of Master versus Apprentice because of Pep Guardiola and Mikel Arteta's connection. However, even before Guardiola and Arteta's era, City versus Arsenal always has been one of the most mouthwatering clashes of the season. 

Even with their fierce history and rivalry, both clubs have been part of some big transfer business. The two aces of Manchester City, Gabriel Jesus, and Oleksandr Zinchenko moved to Arsenal in a dramatic move this season. Like these two players, there have been several top players who have played for both clubs over the years. Here are 10 players who have played for both clubs.

10. Kolo Toure

The former center-back from the Ivory Coast, Kolo Toure established himself as an indispensable member of Premier League teams like Arsenal, Manchester City, and Liverpool during his time. He played for giants like these and always established himself as one of the team's most valuable players. He played seven years at Arsenal from 2002 to 2009, Toure moved to Manchester City in 2009 and then to Liverpool in 2013.

9. Paul Dickov

During the 90s, Paul Dickov rose through Arsenal's youth system and became one of the hottest prospects. After spending six years at Arsenal and making 22 appearances, he could not translate the promise into performance. After leaving Arsenal, Dickov moved to Manchester City. In 158 appearances, Dickov scored 35 goals during his six-year stay with City.

8. Emmanuel Adebayor 

For every Premier League fan, Emmanuel Adebayor is a well-known name. The Togo-born striker spent a significant portion of his career in the Premier League for different teams and remained a fan favorite for his charismatic personality. He was signed by the Gunners in 2006 and scored 46 goals from 104 appearances before leaving for Manchester City in 2009.

7. Niall Quinn

During the 90s, Niall Quinn was a big name for Manchester City. Despite being the youth product of Arsenal from 1983 to 1990, Quinn was often seen as a backup striker at Arsenal. After leaving Arsenal, Quinn joined Manchester City, which marked the start of his career. For them, he played 204 games and scored 65 goals. 

6. Nicolas Anelka

The French forward Nicolas Anelka played for almost every top club of every top league during his playing days. He had a long list of clubs in his career, including Paris Saint Germain, Real Madrid, Chelsea, Manchester City, Arsenal, Liverpool, and Juventus. While Anelka is most remembered for his time with Chelsea, he was signed by Arsenal in 1997 and began his Premier League career there. After unsuccessful stints at Real Madrid and Paris Saint-Germain, he returned to the Premier League through Manchester City in 2002.

5. Oleksandr Zinchenko

Oleksandr Zinchenko is the latest addition to this list after joining hands with Arsenal in a £30 million transfer from Manchester City. The Ukrainian left-back won four Premier Leagues with Manchester City but was never a first-choice player for Pep Guardiola which was one of the main reasons behind his departure. Zinchenko has already become a fan favorite with the Gunners after his impressive spell in a short period.

4. Gabriel Jesus 

In a similar situation to Zinchenko, Gabriel Jesus left Manchester City to join Arsenal last summer. The Brazilian forward has also suffered from a lack of game time, which is why he left. In particular, Jesus's departure was inevitable after Erling Halaand arrived. He has also impressed everyone in such a short period of time and has become a key member of Arteta's brigade.

3. Samir Nasri

The elegant footwork of Samir Nasri made him a big talent when he arrived at Arsenal in 2008 and he was often compared to Zidane. However, Nasri always fell short of expectations due to his inconsistent play. He spent three seasons at Arsenal and made 86 appearances. Nasri then moved to Manchester City for a £25 million transfer. He played 129 games for the cityzens for six years. 

2. Gaël Clichy

A huge name in the history of Manchester City as well as Arsenal, Gal Clichy played for both clubs more than 150 times. His Premier League career began in 2003 at Arsenal. The former French international made 187 Premier League appearances for them between 2003 and 2011. He then joined Manchester City in 2011/12 and won two Premier League titles with them before leaving in 2017.

1. Patrick Vieira

A great midfielder in Arsenal's history, Patrick Vieira is recognized by many as synonymous with the club, but few remember him wearing Manchester City's jersey in 2010/11. In 2003/04, Viera was an integral part of Arsenal's unbeaten brigade but after one more season, Viera left. He then played for Juventus and Inter Milan before coming to Manchester City for the final dance in the Premier League.