On the 16th of August, 2011, Cesc Fabregas tweeted ‘Once a Gunner, always a Gunner’ after leaving the club to join boyhood club Barcelona. This summer Fabregas went on to join Arsenal’s arch rivals Chelsea, yet Fabregas still sees himself as a Gunner.
When speaking to Spanish newspaper El Pais, Fabregas stated that "I will always feel a Gunner and I know that I am going to return to [the Emirates Stadium] and I feel that it will be a special moment but I am a committed guy." Whether or not Arsenal and Chelsea fans feel the same remains to be seen. It has been well known that Arsene Wenger turned down the chance to re-sign Fabregas this summer, opting to stick with Aaron Ramsey and Mesut Ozil in the areas that Cesc would have played. While many Arsenal fans were outraged that Arsene turned down that chance, many believe it was the right choice in order to get the best out of Ramsey, yet seeing Fabregas in Chelsea colours still leaves a bitter taste in the mouths of fans.
Fabregas has always been a player who plays with his heart on his sleeve, his fondness for Arsenal has always been there to be seen and to get turned down by the club that nurtured him must have been tough. It has been three years since Cesc left Arsenal, yet many still saw him as part of Arsenal, still referring to him as ‘El Capitan’. Whether or not turning down Fabregas was a good idea has yet to be decided, Aaron Ramsey’s start to the season has helped ease the fans pain in seeing Cesc’s almost seamless introduction to life at Chelsea.
‘I know that Arsenal fans will understand me, I have no doubt about that.’
Cesc has started the season off in blistering pace notching four assists in only three games so far, thus adding to his place in the Premier Leagues top assists leader board, despite not being in the league for three years. Chelsea do not play Arsenal at the Emirates until April 25, plenty of time for Arsenal fans to get used to seeing Cesc back in the Premier League, but seeing him in Chelsea blue may take longer.