Ashley Cole leaves Chinawhite in London after attending the Arsenal Christmas party

He left the Gunners under a cloud, but Ashley Cole joined up with his former teammates for some festive fun earlier this week at the Arsenal Christmas party.
The England international was spotted making his way into popular London nightspot Chinawhite with a group of pals on Wednesday evening.
Sporting a blue blazer jacket and black jeans, Cole had clearly made the decision to bypass the night’s fancy dress theme in favour of a more conventional ensemble.

Well look who it is: Ashley Cole leaves Chinawhite in London after attending the Arsenal Christmas party

Standing outside with his hands buried deep in his pockets, the prodigious left-back didn’t appear to match the attending Arsenal player’s high spirits as he made his way onto the street after making a surprise appearance at the annual event.

Indeed, while Cole looked less than festive, the Gunners first team fully embraced the theme by sporting a string of outlandish costumes at the bash.
Polish goalkeeper Lukasz Fabianski appeared to get into the swing of things in a bulked up Robin costume, while German defender Per Mertesecker turned heads by arriving as a swashbuckling pirate.

Not very festive: The left-back chose to bypass the fancy dress theme in favour of a smart casual ensemble

Here he is: Ashley Cole make his way onto the street, his hands buried deep inside his pockets, after partying with his former teammates

Don't mind us: The player looks ready for bed as he leaves Chinawhite on Wednesday evening

His fellow defender Laurent Koscielny also caught the eye in a Scream costume, as did Cole’s England pal Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, who arrived dressed like an NFL quarterback.
Meanwhile Gunners midfielder Emmanuel Frimpong’s odd looking ensemble snared the attention of two attractive girls.
Cole ended his eight-year association with Arsenal in 2006 when he signed for bitter rivals Chelsea, a move that prompted a barrage of criticism from fans already incensed with passages in his autobiography, My Defence.

Avataahhhhh: Emiliano Viviano was amongst the players to attend the annual event

Getting involved: Nicklas Bendtner (L) and Carl Jenkinson (R) make their way to the Arsenal Christmas party

Making an effort: Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain (L) and Emmanuel Frimpong dressed up for their night out

I'm off: Striker Mezut Ozil makes his way home

At the time the player claimed Arsenal’s offer to increase his wages from £10,000 to £35,000 a week was a ‘slap in the face’ when compared to the wages paid to other players at the club.
Cole has since enjoyed consistent success at Chelsea, with a Champions League winners medal the most prominent amongst an impressive haul of European and domestic honours.
The footballer is currently fighting for his first-team place with England ahead of next year’s World Cup finals in Brazil.
Should Cole make England’s starting eleven ahead of Everton left-back Leighton Baines, it will be his fourth World Cup with the national team.