A winger,[1] he scored in the 1926 South American Championship (Copa América)[2] and is considered one of the best Chilean football players in history.

In 1925 he along with other members parted from Magallanes football club to form a new club which came to be known in Chile as Colo-Colo. Arellano is attributed with showcasing the bicycle kick or in Chile and other parts of South America known as the Chilena through footballing tours that were conducted in Europe.

[3] Arellano played for the Chile national team that participated in the 1924 and 1926 editions of Copa America.

On 3 May 1927 in Valladolid, Spain while on tour with Colo-Colo, David Arellano suffered peritonitis after being hit by an opposing player during a match.

In his memory Colo-Colo club shirts carry a black line over the main emblem as does the Estadio Monumental David Arellano.