Arsenal vs West Ham: Three stars who have played for both ahead of Premier League clash
Declan Rice is set to face West Ham for the fifth time since leaving for Arsenal in 2023.
Rice became one of the best midfielders in the Premier League under David Moyes before he departed for the Gunners for £100million.
The Hammers have struggled in midfield since he departed, with the likes of James Ward-Prowse and Guido Rodriguez not up to scratch.
With a trip to Arsenal ahead, there is a surprising amount of similarity between the Hammers and Mikel Arteta’s side, with multiple players having represented both sides.
John Hartson
John Hartson signed from Arsenal in February 1997 for about £3.2million, and went on to become a successful striker during his time in East London.
In his first season, he scored five league goals in 11 games and was instrumental in helping West Ham avoid relegation, moving them from 18th when he joined to a final position of 14th.
| Games | Goals |
| 77 | 33 |
Harry Redknapp was the manager at the time, and he became the Irons’ top scorer with 24 goals in all competitions the following campaign.
They finished eighth that season and narrowly missed out on European football in what was one of the most successful periods for West Ham.
- Read more: 10 most expensive West Ham transfers of all time: From Manuel Pellegrini flop to Lucas Paqueta
Luis Boa Morte
Before joining West Ham, Luis Boa Morte had a season at Arsenal, where he helped them to win the double.
Although he didn’t feature heavily, he contributed across competitions and helped them win the Premier League and FA Cup.
- Arsenal signed Luís Boa Morte from Sporting CP in the summer of 1997 for around £1.75million
- He played under a successful Arsene Wenger side before joining Southampton
Morte joined West Ham in January 2007 from Fulham for a reported fee of around £5 million.
The midfielder made 109 appearances in all competitions for the Hammers, scoring two goals, and helped them avoid relegation in his first season.
Injuries hindered him at Upton Park, and he went on to play for just two more years after leaving in 2011.
Ian Wright
By 1997–98, at 34 years old, Ian Wright was struggling with injuries and faced tough competition from younger strikers like Nicolas Anelka and Dennis Bergkamp, who was at his peak.
Therefore, in the summer of 1998, Arsenal allowed him to leave on a free transfer to West Ham, where Redknapp gave him the chance to keep playing regularly in the Premier League.
With the Hammers, he spent one season, scoring nine goals in 22 league games.
He went on to play for Nottingham Forest, Celtic and Burnley before retiring in 2000.
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