Van Persie and Nasri were the only players on
my level' - Fabregas explains decision to leave
Arsenal in 2011

The Spaniard says the pressure on his shoulders
became too much to bear towards the end of his
time at Emirates Stadium.
Cesc Fabregas has revealed why he left Arsenal
nine years ago, admitting to crying after defeats
while naming Robin van Persie and Samir Nasri
as the only players on his level "mentally and
technically" at the time.
Arsene Wenger managed to snap up Fabregas as
a youngster from Barcelona's famed La Masia
academy in 2003, and he became the youngest
player to appear for the first team in the club's
history a month after his arrival in north London.
The ex- Spain international went on to feature
in 303 games across all competitions for the
Gunners, becoming a favourite among supporters
for his exceptional passing range, fierce passion
and combative style in the middle of the park.

He was, however, unable to inspire tangible
success in the form of trophies, with a solitary
FA Cup triumph the only piece of major
silverware he picked up during his nine-year stay
at Arsenal.
Fabregas ended up returning to Barcelona in
2011, and later made his way back to the
Premier League with Chelsea before moving to
France , where he currently plies his trade with
Monaco.
The 32-year-old has now opened up on his
decision to walk away from Emirates Stadium,
insisting he started to feel "lonely" at a time
when Arsenal were no longer competing with the
elite on domestic or European fronts.
"I was the captain, I always felt so much
pressure on myself," Fabregas told Arseblog . "I
had to lead this team to win something. I gave
everything. Sometimes, I used to go home after
we lost and I used to cry.
"I used to suffer, I used to spend sleepless
nights suffering. And then you lose a game,
you're in the bus like this, destroyed, and then
you hear some players laughing, thinking about
where they will be going out later.
"This was going on for a few years. We were
playing beautiful football and I enjoyed that side
of things but I was putting pressure on myself to
lead, to do everything and at one point I felt kind
of lonely.
"Especially in the last two or three years, I felt
Robin and Samir were the only players - it's not
an arrogant thing to say, it's how I felt at that
time - were the players who were at my level
mentally and technically.
"Many things came in my head, I have to admit I
was a bit empty, I was drained mentally,
physically, in my soul knowing I'm giving
everything, knowing a few signings the club
could have made but didn't happen.
"Seeing some behaviours from certain players or
something like this made me feel I wanted to
check something else. If it was not because of
that, I would not have left Arsenal at that time."

https://www.goal.com/en/news/van-persie-nasri-were-the-only-players-on-my-level-fabregas/7rhwmsplulzz1g6y4dl67o3bq