Emmanuel Petit once revealed that following a meeting with Tottenham’s chairman, he instructed the taxi driver to just drop him off at the Arsenal instead.
How Petit turned Spurs down for Arsenal
In 1997, Emmanuel Petit was moving from Monaco, a top player that PL clubs desperately wanted to sign. Tottenham knew this, and quickly arranged a meeting with their chairman Alan Sugar and Petit in London. All indicators showed that Petit would in fact be a Spurs player donning the famous white.
However, Arsenal intervened at the perfect time once they heard a rumor of this meeting. Arsene Wenger had previously coached Petit at Monaco. He personally called the player and advised him to consider if he wanted to engage in this meeting.
With that, Petit stalled the Spurs offer, slipped into a taxi. Instead of heading back to his hotel, he instructed the driver to make for Arsenal’s side of town. What could have been a shock move to Tottenham turned into a masterstroke switch to Emirates.
🗣️ Emmanuel Petit: "I arrived in London and had a meeting with Tottenham and was about to sign for them, my agent got a call just before I signed and said The Arsenal want to talk, I jumped in a taxi and went to Arsenal and sign for them, Spurs even paid for the taxi." 😂😭 pic.twitter.com/ycul20ENqh
— Football Tweet ⚽ (@Football__Tweet) August 22, 2025
The choice could not have played out better for Petit. He won both the PL and FA Cup in his first season and was key in Wenger’s squad. He also added a World Cup win with France that same summer.
From Highbury heroes to European dreams
The Arsenal experience lasted three quick and eventful seasons for Petit. In 118 games of goals, assists, and controlling midfield play, he will stay in the memory of Gunners fans forever. After winning Euro 2000 with France, the player moved to Barcelona. He wrapped up his time in the PL with Chelsea.
Author’s Opinion
Petit’s story sums up football’s fine margins. One taxi ride changed the fate of a player and gave Arsenal a winner. For Spurs, it became another painful reminder of how brutal rivalries can be.