From Wrighty to Arteta: 10 Times Gunners Scored and Celebrated vs Their Old Clubs

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·6 Oktober 2025

From Wrighty to Arteta: 10 Times Gunners Scored and Celebrated vs Their Old Clubs

Declan Rice scored against West Ham for the second time and chose not to celebrate on Saturday.Yet ask the Hammers at the Emirates and they suggest there was a glare from their ex-captain.Away supporters tend to represent the hardcore portion of your fan base so you can only imagine the kind of abuse the midfielder was hearing.As only the third man in the club’s history to lift a major trophy and having earned the Irons over £100 million, you can understand if the 26-year-old started to lose patience, constantly having to explain himself.

My own opinion is, even if it is friendly banter, if you dish it out, you cannot cry when you get it back.I include Gooners in that thought process by the way. I have heard vile chants aimed at former Gunners and then the same people singing these songs wonder why that player is no longer kissing the badge on his return.

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Well, it is the international break so you know what that means… a list.Here are 10 Arsenal players who did celebrate at the expense of their old clubs.

Emotional Rivalries And Unforgettable Celebrations

Ian Wright – Crystal PalaceWhat are three things that mean the world to Ian Wright?Crystal Palace giving him the opportunity others would not and making him a professional footballer, the dream of playing for Arsenal, and the thrill of putting the ball in the back of the net.Like most natural goal-scorers, the feeling of scoring is like a drug.Yet such is his respect for the Eagles and Arsenal that it probably outweighs the need to celebrate if scoring against them, especially if one happened to be heading for relegation.

Yet in the first ever Premiership season, the 61-year-old looked overjoyed to get on the score sheet both home and away. At Highbury Nigel Martyn had to remind his ex-teammate while he was smiling, he was helping send the club who changed his life to Division One.The pundit has since reflected he did not enjoy the idea of hurting his ex-employers, that was until he heard the ‘hatred’ from the crowd.Always at his best playing with emotion, that fired him up.

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Francis Jeffers – EvertonOn the final day of the 2001-2002 season Highbury was in a party mood. They knew whatever the result they had won the Double and would be lifting their second Premiership that day.Despite his two goals earning him the Golden Boot, Thierry Henry seemed more delighted when he helped Francis Jeffers score only his second goal as a Gunner.

The Frenchman’s happiness for the youngster reflected how so many wanted life to work out well for Jeffers in North London and the heartbreak that injury had robbed him of just six league appearances in his debut campaign.There is certainly an irony that the Fox in the Box’s second Arsenal goal should come against Everton.For someone who calls himself a true Evertonian who was hurt to leave Goodison Park, he did not seem too reluctant when he responded to his goal by taking off and swirling round his shirt.

Quite an over-dramatic celebration when you consider the fixture had zero jeopardy on the line.It was a striker frustrated, enjoying a rare highlight in the red and white jersey, with him and his peers hoping this was the start of something he could build on. You could argue he never would for the rest of his career.It made it quite awkward when just over a year later he was back on Merseyside on loan claiming ‘once a blue always a blue’.

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Iconic Gunners Taking On Old Homes

Sol Campbell – SpursGiven the abuse he received whenever returning to Spurs, their ex-captain did well to keep his head down and never respond.That was probably advised by police and security.For example, when the Gunners won the league at the Lane and celebrated in front of their away fans, two members of our squad were not on the pitch.Jens Lehmann because he was angry with himself for conceding a stoppage-time penalty, and Sol Campbell who had been warned to stay in the dressing room for his own safety.

Authorities would have been relieved they never had to deal with the aftermath of the defender scoring for Arsenal in a North London Derby.The irony is, it appears the centre-back waited for retirement to really start poking the bear.Now under zero restrictions where he could respond to the banter, the 51-year-old smartly realised he cannot change perception so if a fan base want to hate him, he may as well make some money out of it.

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Sol Campbell (getty images)

Thierry Henry – JuventusNow as a pundit, Henry has made it clear he respects Juventus as an institution of the game.He clearly though does not agree with how he was treated by the club or the reaction he got when playing in Turin.Always at his best when playing with anger and a chip on his shoulder, twice Juve visited Highbury in the Champions League and both times our striker scored, clearly feeling he had a point to prove to the Italian media.

For someone who did not always include a smile in his celebrations, there was a noticeable glare towards the away end on both occasions.Even after knocking the Italian giants out of Europe the Frenchman was still battling for acceptance.

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William Gallas – ChelseaUltimately William Gallas’s legacy at the Emirates will be someone who lacked the leadership qualities to lead a young dressing room.Yet unlike others who made the short move across London, you can never accuse the Frenchman of not taking his switch to Arsenal seriously or wanting to prove those at Stamford Bridge were wrong for getting rid of him.

Having won consecutive titles, the defender was used to being surrounded by winners and maybe struggled when he did not find those standards in North London.He was not shy in showing Chelsea he had zero allegiance to them. He would do the same to us when joining Spurs.If anything he wanted the youngsters to fulfil their potential so much he was too intense.

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Theo Walcott – SouthamptonThere were some Gooners who were hurt by how much Theo Walcott enjoyed scoring a couple of times on his return to the Emirates.The irony being the same fans who say that are the ones who used to give Theo a hard time when he was a Gunner.The 36-year-old was quick to remind everyone he was equally part of the Southampton academy yet happily celebrated getting a hat-trick against the Saints.

There are simply some players who think there is no better feeling than scoring, no matter the sub-plot, and Walcott is clearly one of those individuals.‘I always feel like scoring a goal, no matter who you play for, is one of the best feelings.When I spoke to Mel and she told me about how the kids celebrated when I scored… I mean, you’re teaching kids what? If you score a goal do not celebrate? The amount of joy and the smiles on their faces, that is what it is about for me. My kids were so happy which makes me happy.I remember scoring a hat-trick for Arsenal against Southampton and I celebrated. It is one of the best feelings you can have in football. It brings people together.’

And they said he was too nice.

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Mikel Arteta – EvertonHaving spent six years at Goodison Park, our boss has always made it clear what Everton means to him. It is believed the 43-year-old was in the running to return to the club as manager before Arsenal came calling.The Spaniard risked upsetting his relationship with Toffee fans by helping knock them out of the FA Cup in 2014 by converting a penalty, responding by kissing the Gunners badge.

Arteta has since explained that any kind of celebration against Everton as player or manager is simply his passion and never meant as disrespect.The former midfielder sent a recorded message saying farewell to Goodison Park. When that was played last season, his appearance was mostly cheered by the majority in the stadium.

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Danny Welbeck – Man UnitedDanny Welbeck was at Man United since the age of eight years old.He literally grew up into a man at Old Trafford, winning a Premiership and two Carabao Cups.So if you could understand any player feeling emotional about hurting his ex-club, it might be someone who spent 13 years at that place of work.

Yet nothing could wipe that affectionate smile off the striker’s face.‘Once we get on that pitch, it is business. When you score you have got to be happy, have you not?’

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Kai Havertz – ChelseaThe striker divides opinion even among our own fanbase but you can never question his mental strength.If you are a footballer who gets criticism in today’s era you have to have thick skin. Thanks to TV and social media fans can get 24-hour football content if they feel like it. That makes it hard for the likes of Havertz not to be aware of what the perception is of him.

Even before he left Stamford Bridge he felt he was not given the respect due to someone who contributed towards their second Champions League.Many Chelsea fans were overjoyed that Arsenal had been convinced to spend £65 million on an attacker no longer getting in their team.Yet supporters cannot have it both ways.If you dish it out, then do not cry if the German gives it back when he gets the last laugh.

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Leandro Trossard – BrightonHaving been a Seagull for four years, maybe the Amex was not the best ground for the Belgian to tap the Arsenal crest and get out the goggles.It is believed the 30-year-old planned before the game not to celebrate if he scored out of his respect for Brighton.That was until he heard the boos and abuse that accompanied his substitution.

Having run the length of the pitch to score, he originally stared at the away crowd and let the celebrations come to him.Then the emotion took over.He doubled down later in the evening posting on social media, ‘are you not entertained’.

I have just included the Premiership era but older Gooners feel free to add more names in the comments.

Dan Smith

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