Ahead of Saturday’s London derby clash at Stamford Bridge, former arsenal captain, Cesc Fabregas has payed a heartfelt tribute to his former side (Arsenal FC) and his then coach, Arsene Wenger.

Having joined Arsenal’s Hale End Academy from boyhood club, FC Barcelona, he signed for the London club on 11 September 2003, the midfielder rose through the ranks to become a real fan favorite and club legend before his return to the Los Blancos in 2011.

During his time at the Emirates, he formed a strong tie with both his manager and the fans, but he soon angered many Gunners fans when he agreed to join their local rivals, Chelsea in 2014 where he picked up his maiden premier league title in his first season at the Bridge.

After making over 300 appearances for The Gunners, the Spanish midfielder has some fond memories of his time at Arsenal and revealed his feelings towards both his former club and coach. He suggested he owes them a lot for what they did for his career.

“Arsenal will always be the team that believed in me the most, Arsene Wenger and the club gave me everything. Without them I would not be a World Cup and European Championship winner, I will always forever be grateful.”

The Gunners travel to West London in the early kick-off on Saturday in a game that would also see Peter Cech make his return to the Stamford Bridge. A win would see them close the gap on the leaders to just six points but a defeat would put the Blues 12 points ahead of Arsenal at the top of the Premier League table with just 14 games remaining. Arsenal and Tottenham are closest to Chelsea at the summit of the table, but neither have been able to capitalize on Antonio Conte’s slips ups.