How long each of Arsenal's players against Chelsea have played for the club

Arsenal came from a goal down to defeat London rivals Chelsea 2-1 on Sunday, maintaining their perfect start to the Premier League season while ending their opponents, and Reece James had something interesting to say after the game.

Speaking to Swedish streaming service Viaplay after the game, the Blues captain was asked where his side are in the early days of their project under Xabi Alonso's leadership, and in response he said: "It's been two or three months working with the new manager and his staff. You know they [Arsenal] are maybe eight years together, I don't know how long."

While James was quick to say he doesn't know exactly how long this Gunners team has been together for, his initial suggestion of eight years was likely looking back to how long Mikel Arteta has been in charge of the team, even being wrong by a whole year. However, there seemed to be a clear hint that his Chelsea side could compete with a team that had been working alongside one another for a lengthy period of time, which just isn't true.

With that in mind, we've taken a look at how long each of the Arsenal players who featured against Chelsea have actually represented the club for.

How long each of Arsenal's players against Chelsea have played for the club

Goalkeeper & Defenders

David Raya (GK) - Three years - Raya joined as an eventual replacement for Aaron Ramsdale in the 2023 summer transfer window. He initially signed on loan and after winning the Golden Glove award in his debut season, he signed permanently the following year.

Ben White (RB) - Five years - Now one of Arsenal's longest serving players, White moved to the Emirates Stadium from Brighton in July 2021, but after suffering with injuries over the past two years he fell behind Jurrien Timber in the pecking order and is now fighting for the starting spot once again.

Ezri Konsa (CB) - Less than one month - Konsa was the Gunners' final signing of the latest summer window when he completed a move from Aston Villa on 21 August. While he hasn't been with his new team for long, he fit in straight away with a great performance against the Blues.

Gabriel Magalhães (CB) - Six years - Gabriel recently celebrated his six-year anniversary of joining the North Londoners, having signed from Ligue 1 side Lille on 1 September 2020. He has worked through a number of different teams and difficult periods as Arteta has found his perfect squad.

Riccardo Calafiori (LB) - Two years - Signed as one of his side's few incomings in the 2024 transfer window, Calafiori joined from Bologna and has worked his way to becoming one of the Premier League's best left backs after battling fitness issues throughout his debut campaign.

Midfielders

Martin Ødegaard (CM) - Five years - Initially signed on loan in January 2021, he returned to Arsenal on a permanent basis in the summer of that year, being named as the club captain the following season, and has now led the side in a number of title challenges.

Myles Lewis-Skelly (CM) - Two years - Technically Lewis-Skelly has been with the Gunners for a lot longer, but he got his first team breakthrough in 2024 and has recently enjoyed a renaissance as a midfielder after spending time at left back.

Declan Rice (CM) - Three years - Rice joined as the club's record signing in July 2023, arriving from West Ham United for a reported £105million and he has consistently been one of the best midfielders in the Premier League since.

Forwards

Bukayo Saka (RW) - Eight years - Like Lewis-Skelly, Saka has been at Arsenal a lot longer, but he was first introduced to the first team in 2018 when he made his debut against Vorskla Poltava in the Europa League. However, he didn't work with Arteta until his return as manager in December 2019.

Kai Havertz (ST) - Three years - A former teammate of Reece James, Havertz signed from London rivals Chelsea in the 2023 summer transfer window and has evolved into an important player for Arsenal, scoring crucial goals and winning the Premier League last season.

Christos Tzolis (LW) - Less than two months - Just like Konsa, Tzolis was a summer signing this year having joined from Club Brugge on 23 July and despite not being with the club for long, his start to life in the famous red and white has been superb.

Substitutes

Piero Hincapié - One year - Hincapié joined as a deadline day loan from Bayer Leverkusen last summer and he made his switch to North London permanent this year after winning the Premier League in his debut season.

Martín Zubimendi - One year - Another who only signed in 2025, Zubimendi enjoyed a good start to life in the English capital and despite eventually losing his spot to Lewis-Skelly, he remains a key player in Arteta's setup.

Mikel Merino - Two years - Signed from Real Sociedad in 2024, Merino initially joined as a midfielder, but has also filled in as a reliable makeshift striker to become one of the most important backups in the team. He's even scored twice against Chelsea.

Viktor Gyökeres - One year - Gyökeres joined as one of Arsenal's major signings last summer and he enjoyed a relatively successful first season in North London, scoring 21 goals, but he now faces a battle for the striker spot with Havertz the current favourite.

Noni Madueke - One year - Another player James will be familiar with, Madueke signed from Chelsea in 2025 and despite fans not being certain of his arrival at first, he has won many over after putting in a number of important performances during his side's Premier League success.

Manager: Mikel Arteta - Almost seven years

Despite the eight years claim by James, Arteta has infact only been of charge for Arsenal for just under seven years, having returned to become their first team manager in December 2019. He has taken the club on an incredible journey that has seen them evolve from mid-table dwellers to Premier League champions.

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