Having been schooled at Barcelona’s famed La Masia academy, Cesc Fabregas arrived in London in the autumn of 2003, aged just 16.
A mere month later this skinny Catalonian kid made his debut for Arsenal, against Rotherham in a League Cup game but mostly that season he absorbed himself in English life, fending off homesickness and training with – and looking up to – giants of the Premier League in the form of Patrick Vieira and Thierry Henry, the latter an ever-present in the Premier League top scorer odds.
That year the Gunners became Invincibles, and the highly-promising teenager watched on from the sidelines, recognizing the towering standards that needed to be reached week in, week out in order to be successful. It amounted to a masterclass.
Twelve months later came his most prominent contribution to date, a contribution we only found out about much later, when it all royally kicked off at Old Trafford following a fractious game that saw Arsenal relinquish a 49-match unbeaten run.
In a melee down the tunnel, an infamous fracas that became known as the ‘Battle of the Buffet’, it was Fabregas who threw a slice of pizza at Sir Alex Ferguson, further enflaming the situation.
Cesc Fabregas is enjoying life under Maurizio Sarri 🗣️ pic.twitter.com/tIcStFzkmv
— 888sport (@888sport) October 14, 2018
This isn’t mentioned here purely because it’s funny – and absolutely it is, a 17-year-old frisbeeing some pepperoni at a stonewall legend of the game – but also, such a wanton act of anarchy gets to the heart of how the midfielder later established himself as one of the very best of his ilk, over and above his rare talent.
He was fearless. He was combative. Added to his silky array of continental attributes was a scrappy edge to his character that the likes of David Batty and Paul Ince would wholly have approved of.
It was an edge that ensured he always put in the legwork when out of possession before transforming into a Rolls-Royce with the ball at his feet.
Indeed, unquestionably Fabregas was one of the best Premier League midfielders of all time, elite in every aspect. His achievements more than back up such a lofty claim, with an astonishing 111 assists carved out across 16 top-flight campaigns.
Only Ryan Giggs can top that. For Arsenal he was a 21st century Liam Brady, capable of changing a game’s course with a sumptuous throughball. For Chelsea he was a title winner twice-over. On two occasions he was included in the PFA Team of the Year.
Moreover, seeing him play was a scenic pleasure. The elegant manner in which he moved, dancing through challenges, making them futile.
The flicks and tricks that elicited fifty thousand smiles. The unfussy nature of his passing even though he could ping a cross-field ball with the best of them.
Presently, Arsenal are in serious contention to win a title that eluded Fabregas at Highbury then the Emirates, but their chances would be improved further if he was there still.
Lighting up Arsenal’s centre-circle, forever aiming to match the towering standards set by the Invincibles. More times than not, he reached them too, week in, week out, giving us a masterclass.
*Credit for all of the photos in this article belongs to AP Photo*
FIRST PUBLISHED: 6th March 2023
