If you think there is no rivalry between Arsenal and Chelsea you’ve clearly never attended one of the games, watched it in a London pub, or have any friends who are fans of either club.

Its been a while since both teams were in top 4. Probably that.

I think its because for Ashley Cole, he was in his prime and beloved by the fans while the other transfers had spend their prime at their respective clubs. No one wanted Cole to move, things didn’t work out salary wise, but the fans wanted him to stay.

For Havertz, he didn’t quite click at Chelsea as everyone had hoped, so the fans don’t see him as a big loss.

But Cech, David Luiz, Giroud, Jorginho, Willian etc, had served their respective clubs well and were looking to move. The fact that they moved to the other club was incidental.

Mainly because Cole is a Snake. But it was also when Rivalries were so big that the players wouldn’t interact on international duty.

Nowadays fans understand that football is a business and if it’s the club that decides to let the player go, then there is little animosity.

However, when it’s the player who pushes for the move then that’s when there is animosity. See Alexis, RVP, Nasri and Fabregas.

Ashley Cole hatred from us was warranted given the obvious tapping up and the manner of his leaving. It being a hated rival only added to it, but was not the major cause of our hatred of Ca$hley.

The diff is that Cashley was one of the best Left Back when he moved to Chelsea and in other hand Cech, Luiz, Willian all were in their decline. Havertz was hated by Chelsea’s fans so it makes sense that they had zero problems with this transfer.

For ex. If we try to buy their best player right now like Enzo or Palmer they will go nuts for sure.

These are players out of form. It would be different if Rice/Martinelli/Saka were to go to Chelsea in the next window

I just hated us buying players Chelsea no longer wanted.

1. Both arsenal and Chelsea were good at the time of Cole’s move. For a lot of the others arsenal have been a step below, and for Havertz it’s the opposite

2. the manner of his departure was also bad

Cech and David Luiz moved after their primes. They’d already had success at Chelsea and weren’t good after they left. Arsenal thought they could do better than Giroud and were happy when he left. But he obviously was an important player for us and aged well.

Whereas Ashley Cole came from Arsenal’s academy, I’m pretty sure supported them as a kid and was one of the best players in his his position in the world. And was slap bang in the middle of his prime. From Arsenal fan’s perspective he left for money although it was probably more the principle and feeling valued by the club.

Chelsea fans feel exactly the same way about Mason Mount. Him going to a rival isn’t what made fans angry. It’s the fact he’d been at the club since he was a kid, had already had success with the club and was meant to be a key player for them moving forwards. And the fans feel he chose money over loyalty (again probably more to do with feeling valued).

I don’t think Chelsea or Arsenal fans would care unless a player is basically leaving for money or because they think they can win trophies at the other club. So Van Persie going to United is probably more insulting to Arsenal fans than any of the Chelsea ones you listed. Or Fabregas going to Chelsea after Barca. He was already an Arsenal legend and had left in a bad way. Then returned to London to play for Chelsea (although Wenger didn’t want him).

The rivalry means nothing if the player isn’t good enough. Havertz isn’t even in his prime yet but he wasn’t living up to Chelsea fan’s expectations and you could tell he needed a change to reignite his career.

And yeah they hate Spurs a lot more than each other. But the lack of transfers between them and Spurs comes from the Spurs end and Daniel Levy.

You cant compare these transfers.

Ashley Cole was an academy player, a youngster who grew into the team, he was an Arsenal fan growing up. Him leaving is like if Bukayo Saka left now to Chelsea. You would see “proper animosity” then, trust me.

Ashley Cole got booed at every ground in the league. English football fans had a weird hated for him.

A big part of it is the level of the player when they leave, Ashley Cole was still amazing when he left. Havertz was hated, Luiz, Cech, Giroud, etc were all aging and didnt have much more to give to Chelsea

Ashley Cole was a complete different case as Chelsea were on a rise with the money they just obtained.

He left Arsenal for a bigger wage (much bigger) not to say ofc he wanted to win trophies.

Other than him, the players exchanged were either not major players or players that have fell off or done their time.

They both decided it was more fun to shit on Tottenham instead.