It's derby day on Sunday when Chelsea host Arsenal in the latest instalment of a rivalry steeped in drama, sensational goals and more. Here, Adrian Kajumba selects 10 of the most memorable moments so far.
Winterburn's wonder goal - September 1997
Nigel Winterburn did not score too often during his career but in 1997, the left-back became one of the most unlikely match-winners this fixture ever has seen.
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Given that 18 months had passed since he last scored - for previous club Wimbledon, in March 1996 - nobody would have expected what happened next when, heading into the final minute and with the scoreline level at 2-2, Winterburn collected the ball in space.
Rather than pass to a more likely scorer such as Dennis Bergkamp or Ian Wright, Winterburn strode forward unchallenged and thumped a swerving effort into the top corner to settle a Stamford Bridge rollercoaster and secure his place in Arsenal v Chelsea folklore.
Nwankwo Kanu's hat-trick - October 1999
Two years later, Stamford Bridge was the scene of one of this rivalries’ great comebacks and individual performances.
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Chelsea were 2-0 up following strikes by Tore Andre Flo and Dan Petrescu. Having not conceded a Premier League home goal before Arsenal’s visit, victory for the Blues seemed secure at that stage.
But Nwankwo Kanu had other ideas, netting a hat-trick for the Gunners in the last 15 minutes, sealed with a stunning third goal, scored from an improbable angle.
It came after Kanu rounded goalkeeper Ed de Goey on the byline and successfully pulled off one of his trademark tricks, despite his fellow Nigeria international Celestine Babayaro warning his Chelsea team-mates to be ready for it.
“If you ask me for the greatest goal I have ever scored, that is what I would say,” Kanu reflected. “None of my team-mates believed I could score from that angle. Even Arsene Wenger said, ‘How did you do that?’”
Ashley Cole’s controversial move - August 2006
Ashley Cole was a trophy-winning product of Arsenal’s academy but he was equally synonymous with Chelsea by the end of his career, having moved across London in one of the Premier League's most controversial transfers.
The saga began in January 2005 when it emerged that a secret meeting had taken place about a potential move which landed all involved, including Cole, in trouble with the authorities.
Although the left-back signed a one-year contract extension in July 2005, he joined Chelsea the following summer with William Gallas heading in the opposite direction as part of the deal.
Arsenal’s attempts to secure Cole on a longer deal were a factor in his decision to move on. The England international revealed in his autobiography that he had been left “trembling with anger” and “nearly swerved off the road” when he was told Arsenal were offering him £55,000-per-week rather than £60,000.
Cole's eventual move to Stamford Bridge led to him being nicknamed “Cashley” by angry Arsenal fans and having fake notes with his face on waved in his direction when he faced his old club for the first time in December 2006.
He has since admitted the situation “hurt me more than anyone else” and said “that ill feeling from fans is still hard sometimes.”
But professionally, Cole has no regrets, after adding a host of trophies to his CV at Chelsea and establishing himself as one of the best players in his position.
Michael Essien’s screamer - December 2006
As well as being Cole’s first reunion with Arsenal, this encounter was also memorable for the stunning Michael Essien goal which preserved Chelsea’s unbeaten Premier League home run.
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They were in genuine danger of their record ending at 51 matches when Mathieu Flamini put Arsenal ahead in the 78th minute.
But just six minutes later, Essien let fly from 35 yards and beat Jens Lehmann, who had earlier been involved in a theatrical barging match with Didier Drogba with a thunderbolt strike. The shot seemed to be heading wide but curled back in towards goal as it flew into the net.
It's Thursday, so we're throwing it back to this dreamy strike from @MichaelEssien against Arsenal! ☄️💥
— Chelsea FC (@ChelseaFC) March 26, 2020
Describe this goal in one word: ________________#ThrowbackThursday pic.twitter.com/ku3yqELhmT
Incredibly, the drama did not end there. Alexander Hleb missed a chance to win it for Arsenal before Essien and Frank Lampard both hit the woodwork for Chelsea.
Didier Drogba’s Emirates free-kick - November 2009
When asked about his favourite goal against Arsenal, Didier Drogba's pick was his stunning free-kick in Chelsea’s 3-0 win at Emirates Stadium.
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Already renowned for his prowess in the penalty area, Drogba remembers it as the moment people also started taking note of his ability from free-kicks after he smashed a long-range effort past Manuel Almunia.
Unbelievable technique from @DidierDrogba! 💥
— Chelsea FC (@ChelseaFC) January 2, 2018
A man who loved a goal against Arsenal... pic.twitter.com/qErCRWzBCn
Drogba had plenty of options to pick from for his standout goal against Arsenal, having become their nemesis during his first Chelsea spell. He netted 13 goals in only 14 appearances against them in all competitions.
Having grown up supporting the Gunners, Drogba was always inspired when he faced them and his idol, Thierry Henry.
He was further fired up when Arsenal manager Wenger attempted to downplay Drogba’s contribution in matches between the two teams.
Wenger, though, was understandably happy to see the back of Drogba when he left Chelsea for the first time in 2012.
“I don’t know if Chelsea will miss him - but we don’t miss him,” Wenger said. “He did a lot of damage against us.”
Robin van Persie’s hat-trick - October 2011
During four seasons between 2010 and 2014, Robin van Persie reached his peak - and one of his very best days came in an eventful match at Chelsea when he scored a memorable hat-trick to inspire Arsenal to a 5-3 win.
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Lampard had put Chelsea 1-0 ahead early on before captain Van Persie scored Arsenal’s first equaliser. John Terry edged the home side ahead on half-time but Andre Santos and Theo Walcott turned the tables to put Arsenal 3-2 up, only for Juan Mata to bring Chelsea level at 3-3 with 10 minutes remaining.
Van Persie then added a further two late goals, including one when he memorably pounced on a slip by Blues skipper Terry, to turn a thrilling draw into an impressive 5-3 victory.
After scoring only three goals in his first seven Premier League matches, the Dutchman’s form picked up significantly. During the second half of October, he reversed that statistic - netting seven times in three league games, including his hat-trick against Chelsea.
The goals kept coming as Van Persie finished 2011 with 35 goals, one short of Alan Shearer’s calendar-year record at the time. The Dutchman's 30 goals in the Premier League season secured him the 2011/12 Golden Boot award.
Wenger's 1,000th match - March 2014
What should have been a day to remember turned into one to forget for Arsenal manager Wenger.
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Rather than being a celebration, his 1,000th match ended in humiliation against his old foe Jose Mourinho as the Gunners suffered their heaviest-ever defeat against Chelsea.
Arsenal trailed 2-0 inside seven minutes; ten minutes later, they were three goals behind and a man down, after Kieran Gibbs was sent off in a case of mistaken identity. They finished the match on the end of a 6-0 thumping.
After 6-3 and 5-1 defeats at Manchester City and Liverpool respectively in the same 2013/14 season, this was another hefty loss to add to the list, and one that prompted a press conference no-show from Wenger.
“It was a nightmare and I take full responsibility for it,” he told the BBC. “It’s one of the worst days in my career.”
And not one easily erased.
Recalling the occasion last year, Mourinho joked: “The only thing that Arsene Wenger cannot forget is his match number 1,000.”
And even Jurgen Klopp referred to it, after avoiding a similar fate when he reached the same milestone with a 0-0 draw against Chelsea in January 2023.
"Arsene Wenger lost his 1,000th game 6-0 so I'm really happy that didn't happen,” he said.
Wenger and Mourinho's touchline spat - October 2014
The animosity between Mourinho and Wenger finally boiled over when they clashed on the touchline in October 2014.
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In an unforgettable flashpoint, following a Gary Cahill foul on Alexis Sanchez, Wenger confronted and shoved Mourinho while being told to go back to his own technical area.
They had already been chipping away at each other for a decade. Earlier that year, Mourinho called Wenger “a specialist in failure”, in response to the Arsenal boss claiming Chelsea were playing down their title prospects due to a fear of failing.
After their touchline spat, they did not shake hands. Wenger insisted he had only given Mourinho “a little shove” and would be happy to demonstrate a real one if required.
The Arsenal manager did show some remorse later, admitting “that was basically me losing control” and “it’s not a way to behave on a football field.”
Mourinho opted against making too big an issue of the incident, brushing it off as “no problem.”
On this occasion he did not need to. His team did the talking for him, winning 2-0 with Cesc Fabregas - on his first appearance for Chelsea against the club he used to captain - setting up Diego Costa for the second goal.
In the process, the Blues extended Mourinho’s unbeaten run against Wenger to 12 matches.
Eden Hazard's solo goal - February 2017
After a 2015/16 season that left him feeling “like a ghost”, Eden Hazard burst back into life and enjoyed his best time at Chelsea in the following campaign under Antonio Conte. The Belgian's goal against Arsenal was one of his many magic moments.
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Picking the ball up just inside his own half, Hazard tricked past Laurent Koscielny, shrugged off Francis Coquelin until he fell to the floor, beat Koscielny once more and fired the ball into the net beyond the despairing dives of defender Shkodran Mustafi and goalkeeper Petr Cech.
“I scored a few beautiful goals but this one is special because it is against Arsenal and we won the game," said Hazard. "It’s always special to score against them.”
His brilliant individual effort, which helped Chelsea to a 3-1 victory that put them 12 points clear at the top, was a perfect example of prime Hazard - too good for all challengers, just as the Blues were in winning the 2016/17 title.
Europa League final - May 2019
A Premier League and London rivalry was transferred to the European stage when Chelsea and Arsenal met in the UEFA Europa League final in Baku, Azerbaijan.
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Europa League specialist Unai Emery, who had won the tournament three times previously with Sevilla, was in charge at Arsenal in the competition’s first final between two clubs from the same city.
But it was Maurizio Sarri who claimed the trophy. The Italian's heartwarming reaction to winning his first major honour as a manager, in his final match in charge of Chelsea, was one of the night's abiding memories.
Maurizio Sarri taking a moment to look at his own Europa League winner's medal 💙
— Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) May 29, 2020
His first major trophy as a manager 🙌pic.twitter.com/s3VEQTn90z
N’Golo Kante overcoming pre-match fears of a knee injury to produce a typically tireless display was another, as Chelsea overcame Arsenal 4-1. An impressive second-half display featured strikes from Olivier Giroud against his old club, Pedro, and Hazard, who netted twice. Alex Iwobi scored Arsenal's consolation goal.
On what also proved to be a night of farewells, Sarri, who joined Juventus, was not the only one signing off after the final.
Hazard announced he would be leaving Chelsea ahead of his move to Real Madrid, while the defeat was also the final game of Arsenal goalkeeper Cech’s career, in which he served both clubs with distinction.
