I wanted Arsenal to win the Premier League two years ago - now I'm out to end their title hopes

"Of course. I hope so, but let's see," Moises Caicedo said in April 2023 when asked whether he wanted Arsenal to win the Premier League title that season.

The Gunners were top of the table at the time of those comments. However, they were in the midst of a two-game winless run that would become four by the end of the month after being beaten 4-1 by Manchester City.

Caicedo, still a Brighton & Hove Albion player then, contributed to Arsenal's next loss, when the Seagulls won 3-0 at the Emirates Stadium to effectively end any remaining title hopes. Two years on, Caicedo hopes to do so again in north London, but this time in the blue of Chelsea.

Asked whether his current club can make up the six-point gap to Arsenal and finish ahead of Mikel Arteta's team, he said, via The Mirror: "Yes, it's possible for sure, and that's what we want. We are working hard for that, that's it. We know it's going to be a tough game, but we want to play well, and we're going to go for it because we want to play in the Champions League."

Despite moving for what could become a British record transfer fee 18 months ago, Caicedo has yet to play in European football's premier club competition. Before this season's Conference League campaign, he had never played in any European competition.

That wait would have been shorter had Caicedo stayed at Brighton, who were in the Europa League last term, or successfully forced a switch to Arsenal. "I was really close to going," he told The Telegraph in that same April 2023 interview of the transfer saga that played out 12 weeks earlier.

Chelsea were first to bid, but Brighton rejected their £55million offer as they later did to Arsenal's opening gambit of £60million. Caicedo then posted an open letter on to his Instagram account, a post which is now, unsurprisingly, no longer available.

That read in part: "I am proud to be able to bring in a record transfer fee for Brighton, which would allow them to reinvest it and help the club continue to be successful." That they did, just not that January.

A further £70million offer from Arsenal arrived days later, but Brighton stood firm, telling Caicedo to take time off until the transfer window closed. He returned to training at the start of February and he promptly returned to the team before, a month later, signing a new contract.

That summer, Chelsea rather than Arsenal would return - initially bidding £70million, then £80million and going up to £100million before Brighton accepted a £110million offer from Liverpool. The Blues then bid £115million and, with Caicedo preferring them over the Reds, secured his signing.

Chelsea have not beaten either Arsenal or Liverpool since then. Sunday provides Caicedo the latest opportunity to get one over the team he - not so long ago - wanted to play for.