It is very straightforward to reel off the four biggest British derbies and by most estimations Arsenal v Chelsea would not be one of them. Yet as I repeatedly tell my girlfriend, size isn’t everything and when the Gunners square up to their neighbours to the west the universe usually tilts on its axis and strange things occur. Some local encounters struggle to live up to their hype. This isn’t one of them.
Ashley Cole transfer
The headline-dominating saga that dragged through the summer of 2006 may not be directly linked to when the London giants butt heads, but this protracted – and highly contentious – transfer certainly ratcheted up the rivalry for all subsequent derbies.

For full context it’s important to place each club’s standing back then among the famous titbits that accompanied the move (most notably Cole ‘trembling with anger’ at ‘only’ being offered 55 grand a week to stay at the Emirates). Arsenal were the recent Invincibles who resented Chelsea – aided heavily by Abramovich’s fortune – muscling in on their two-way title tussles with Manchester United.


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The loss of their left-back to their moneyed usurpers turned the resentment into open warfare.