Chelsea's all-time best XI

 

10 March 2018

GK: Petr Cech

There's no surprise who lines up between the sticks. Having made 494 appearances and kept countless clean sheets, Cech was formidable in goal for Chelsea and deservedly takes his spot in our best XI.

RB: Cesar Azpilicueta

He may be one of the most recent additions in our list but it didn't take the Spaniard long to become a Chelsea legend. Appearing 267 times and scoring seven goals since leaving Marseille in the winter 2012, Azpilicueta has won two Premier League titles and will be looking to secure more during his time at Stamford Bridge.

CB: John Terry

The England international was a pivotal part of Chelsea's dominance last decade and spent 19 seasons at the club, featuring 717 times in all competitions. Terry experienced his fair share of silverware too, winning the Premier League and FA Cup five times and the Champions League once.

CB: Ron Harris

Harris is the only relatively unknown player on the list, unless you're a hardcore football fan. However, he holds the appearance record at Chelsea - featuring 795 times - and is arguably the greatest player to bull on a 'Blue' shirt, steering them to their first ever FA Cup and European Championship.

LB: Ashley Cole

Cole seamlessly moved from North London to the south and was also instrumental in Chelsea's dominance a decade ago, making 338 appearances. During his spell at Stamford Bridge, he won their Players' Player of the Year twice and also featured in the Premier League Team of the Year for 2011 and UEFA's for 2010.

DM: Michael Essien

He built a key partnership in front of the defence with Claude Makelele, who also features in our XI, and was again part of that Chelsea team who was so dominant last decade. Despite being a defensive midfielder, Essien still provided 25 goals in his 256 appearances before moving on to newer challenges.

DM: Claude Makelele

The midfielder was so impressive he even had a position named after him at the club. Makelele helped Chelsea secure their first Premier League trophy in 2005 and then was part of the squad who successfully defended a year later. Making 217 appearances, the Frenchman deserves his spot on our list.

AM: Frank Lampard

It wouldn't be a Chelsea all-time XI without Lampard featuring. The midfielder, like Terry, was a talisman of the club for a long time, playing in 648 games across 13 seasons and scoring 211 goals - an incredible feat.

RW: Gianfranco Zola

The Italian is known for his eccentric managerial talent but Zola was also an incredible player, especially at Chelsea. He didn't necessarily win as much with the club compared to others, as he played before their success in the mid-200s, but he arguably laid the foundation for other players in his eight seasons at Stamford Bridge and caused numerous opposition defences a host of problems.

LW: Eden Hazard

The Belgian is the other player who still plays for the 'Blues' and also deserves his spot in the all-time XI. Since joining from Lille in 2012, Hazard has wowed the Premier League with his skill and finesse, scoring 87 goals in 287 matches and no doubt there will be more to come in a Chelsea shirt.

ST: Didier Drogba

There's only one player to spearhead Chelsea's attack and that is Drogba. During his two stints in London, the Ivory Coast international scored 164 goals and won countless matches and trophies for the 'Blues'. In fact, they have lacked a striker of his calibre since his second departure in 2015.