After Cole Palmer’s brilliant display in the latest game between Chelsea and Man City, we thought it would be good to have a look at some other players who played for both sides.
Who played for Chelsea and Man City?
As it turns out, quite a few players!
Chelsea and Man City belong in a very exclusive members’ club of teams to have been going nowhere before a bunch of money came in to alter their fortunes for the better.
Resulting in multiple Premier League (and now European honours) between them over the course of the last twenty years, with both teams looking to pinch talent from one-another in a bid to assert themselves among the country’s elite.
Both were almost invited to that European Super League farce, but let’s forget about that.
Starting off this feature of players to play for both Chelsea and Man City, let’s start with the only one to play for both and one on more than a single occasion.
Shaun Wright-Phillips
The first time felt so nice, he just had to do it twice!
Unlike some of the latter players on this list, Wright-Phillips made the move from a struggling Man City directly to a table-topping Chelsea en route to disturbing the United/Arsenal duopoly in England.
That being said, things didn’t go all too swimmingly for Shaun in the darker Chelsea blue, such that he returned to City with his tail tucked between his legs a bit a couple of years later.
Still a very tricky and exciting player in his hey-day, and that’s putting it lightly!
Nicolas Anelka
Where hasn’t Nicolas Anelka been? That’s the real question.
Chelsea and Man City join the likes of Arsenal, PSG, Fenerbahce, Bolton and even the great West Bromwich Albion on Anelka’s CV, but both will represent good memories for the Frenchman.
Reports at the time suggested that Anelka, having returned to England after his European escapade from Arsenal, wanted to stay with Liverpool but a deal didn’t materialise. The move to City looked like a relative step down, but he was able to rediscover his Premier League form there and put himself back in the shop window, especially after a particular show in the Manchester Derby.
His Chelsea days may best be remembered for that infamous penalty miss vs United in the 2008 Champions League Final, but that’s where his all-round game came to the fore most clearly.
Still a wonderful footballer with that whiff of ‘what might have been’ had things been different.
Raheem Sterling
Liverpool, Manchester City and Chelsea. That’s not a bad CV whatsoever for Raheem Sterling.
From a boy coming through the Liverpool ranks and establishing himself as a first-teamer alongside that famous Suarez-Sturridge partnership (the latter who also played for Chelsea and Man City), to a crucial part of Pep’s plans at City and Pochettino’s Chelsea build, Sterling is a top class footballer.
As things stand, it’s difficult to look beyond his time and trophy cabinet at City but with the investment and expectations at Chelsea, it’s clear that he will be key to their plans for success.
Kevin De Bruyne
This one’s a bit embarrassing for Chelsea fans.
A lot has been made of their youth and loan policy over the years.
With the skeptics arguing that they are buying ‘too many’ players at any given time, without any real understanding as to how they will eventually fit into their first team plans.
Worries like these have only gone and been cemented further in the ensuing years, with a raft of players going on loan, showing promise and getting few chances in the senior team.
Most of them leave on loan and have better careers away from Stamford Bridge.
Romelu Lukaku is one example, who became a top Premier League striker worth £70m+ for Everton. Mohammed Salah is another, who now stands as arguably the greatest African player of all time with Egypt and for Liverpool. And then there’s Kevin De Bruyne.
One of the best creative brains to ever grace the grass of the English Premier League, and a key component of City’s eventual treble-winning ambitions.
Frank Lampard
Again, Chelsea fans – look away now!
Few expected Frank Lampard to leave Chelsea at all, but fewer could begrudge a move to the United States when the time came. Yet even fewer could predict what would come next.
He left Chelsea after over a decade at the highest level at the Bridge, and quickly realised that there was some time to spare between the European calendar and that of Major League Soccer.
But instead of resting on his laurels, he decided to make use of the City Football Group’s weird multi-club scheme and train with Manchester City in the meantime. Then, with a few injuries scuppering their early title ambitions in 2014/15, he actually signed and played for them instead!
He did eventually go to New York City, but not before he scored a big goal against his favourite side in the new blue of City. Brutal scenes.
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Summary
And that’s our list of top players to play for both Chelsea and Man City.
No doubt we’ve missed a few and there will probably be others in the years to come!
Which of these players do you remember most fondly?