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After cruising to the Premier League title with 93 points in 2016-17, Chelsea fans around the world were left wanting for more of the same from their club and manager Antonio Conte.
However, things were not so straightforward this time around as Chelsea meekly surrendered the league title to Manchester City. They were never in real contention for the title. No one were to be precise, but as the defending champions, one definitely expected more grit from them this season.
They could only finish fifth this season which negates them of Champions League football next season but the campaign ended on a good note as they went on to win the FA Cup, beating Manchester United in the final.
The curtain has come down on yet another Premier League season and we look at how each Chelsea player fared this year:
Grade D
Tiemoue Bakayoko
Signed from Monaco to replace Nemanja Matic, it is fair to say that Tiemoue Bakayoko has been a disappointment this season. He missed the first few weeks' action through injury and upon his return, he found the going tough.
Often clueless in possession and impulsive in tackling, Bakayoko failed to make an impact and Chelsea's early season troubles were largely due to their issues in the middle of the park.
He looks more comfortable when Conte plays a 3-5-2 formation but is yet to win the Chelsea fans' hearts despite some late season form. It has been a testing season for the Frenchman who really needs to improve a lot.
Pedro
Pedro played a crucial role in their title success last season but he has been a shadow of his former self throughout the current campaign.
He had to be satisfied with outings and cameos from the bench for the majority of their games and could score just 4 times in the league. A primary reason for his downfall has been Conte's inclination towards deploying a 3-5-2 formation and the Spaniard has had his chances cut short.
Even in games in which he started, he was inconsistent and failed to produce the spark Chelsea badly wanted.
David Luiz
Following John Terry's departure to Aston Villa, David Luiz was expected to step up and take responsibility as he was one of the most senior-most players in the squad. However, the exact opposite happened.
A series of lethargic performances from the Brazilian demoted him to the bench and there were reports of a rift between the player and Conte.
He played the full 90 minutes only once since game week 10 and to make matters worse, a recurring knee injury kept him out of the game for the majority of the second half of the season.
Danny Drinkwater and Ross Barkley
Two signings that epitomised Chelsea's failed transfer window. While January signing Barkley can still come good for them in the long run, there was no meaning in splashing out close to £40 million on Drinkwater.
The duo has a history of recurring injuries and was bought at a time when they were continuing rehabilitation for existing injuries. This hampered their progress to a large extent and they have failed to make their mark this season.
They have played just 652 minutes of football in the league combined, which speaks volumes.
Grade C
Alvaro Morata
Bought for a club record fee, Alvaro Morata has failed to fill the void left by Diego Costa- perhaps even half of it. The Spaniard got off to a good start at the club but his form drastically went below par as the season progressed.
Despite scoring a decent 15 goals in all competitions including a brilliant hat-trick against Stoke City, he has failed to find his scoring boots at times when Chelsea needed him most.
He has cut a frustrating figure since the turn of the year and Olivier Giroud's arrival saw the Frenchman leapfrog Morata and claim a starting position. As a result, he has been omitted from Spain's squad for the World Cup and rightly so.
Willy Caballero
An average season for Willy Caballero who has often been brilliant and also has been equally sluggish at times. Thibaut Courtois missed a couple of week's action due to injury and the Argentinean had to be entrusted with goalkeeping duties.
He was pivotal in Chelsea's FA Cup triumph as they had to beat Norwich City on penalties in the 3rd round and also saved a spot-kick against Hull City in the 5th round.
But in their crucial league game against Tottenham, Caballero was uninspiring and a costly error against Huddersfield towards the end of the season proved to be catastrophic.
Emerson Palmieri
Despite Chelsea spending around £18 million for his services in January, it had to take a Marcos Alonso suspension for us to see what he has to offer.
He played a couple of cup games and in the three matches he started at left wing-back, the Brazilian has impressed. He looks promising and is crying out for more chances at the moment and we can hope he provides stiff competition to Alonso next season.
Cesc Fabregas
Despite the isolated games in which Fabregas has starred and the occasional brilliance he has showcased this season, it has definitely not been one of the best seasons in his career.
He has managed to score just twice and assist four times in the league which is a meteoric downfall by his standards. Since Hazard was given a free role behind the striker, the Belgian played at will and often took up half-spaces between the lines that Fabregas usually likes to exploit.
Age may be catching up the Spaniard who has been left out of Spain's squad as well and he will be looking to set the record straight next season after a good rest over the summer.
Gary Cahill
If stepping into John Terry's shoes is something you had to do this season, then getting sent-off in the opening game of the Premier League is not quite the way to do so. That red card initiated a major fall from grace for the Englishman who failed to stake his claim for a starting position since.
However towards the end of the season, from mid-March, Cahill has been a man in form and has found his mojo back. He was pivotal in their late surge towards a Champions League spot but unfortunately fell short of achieving the same.
As a result of his late season for, Cahill has been included in England's World Cup squad and he will be hoping to prove his doubters wrong in Russia.
David Zappacosta
Signed from Torino in the summer, Zappacosta was set to be Victor Moses' deputy at right wing-back. And the Italian proved to be just that and failed to usurp Moses from his position.
He scored a wonder goal on his debut in the Champions League but defensively he has been just okay-ish, culpable of the occasional mistake.
But he has often proved to be a handful for the opposition fullbacks with some dangerous crosses and there is room for improvement for the 25-year-old who can be satisfied with his performance this season.
Grade B
Olivier Giroud
To simply put it- Chelsea's saviour this season.
Signed from Arsenal in January, Giroud took a bit of time to settle into life at the club and once he found his feet, he started to take things by the scruff of their neck.
His presence, aerial ability and know-how inside the box proved to be the difference and provided another dimension to their attack- something they lacked since Costa's departure and something Morata failed to bring to the table.
He had a hand in 8 goals for Chelsea this season and was able to oust their record signing from the starting spot.
Marcos Alonso
Alonso has been good this season and despite making occasional mistakes defensively, the defender has pitched in with a fair share of goals this campaign.
He is Chelsea's furthest forward player on the left at times as Hazard who likes to cut in leaves spaces for Alonso to take full advantage of. Kante does an excellent job covering up spaces and thus Alonso has the freedom to play at will on the left wing.
He has scored a decent 8 goals this seasons and given his expertise from set pieces, he has proved to be a major threat from free-kicks. He was voted into the PFA Team of the year as well.
Andreas Christensen
Places were up for taking in Chelsea's defence this season and Christensen has enjoyed a career-defining season with the club. Chelsea fans have been crying out for one of their youth players to make a mark at the club and it looks as if their prayers have been answered.
He managed to play 40 games in all competition which is a brilliant number for a 22-year-old under an Italian manager. His positional sense and ability to react quickly to situations needs to be credited for it's fair to say that the player has made a name for himself among the Chelsea faithful owing to performances.
He seemed to run out of steam towards the end of the season which is acceptable but thankfully, Cahill managed to find his feet at the right moment.
Victor Moses
It seemed a mystery as to how Victor Moses, nothing but an outcast, evolved to be one of Chelsea's vital cogs when they raced to the title last season.
His peculiar mix of attributes- high work rate, quick and physical enough to nullify most wingers enabled Conte to play him as a right wing-back and the Nigerian continued his form this season as well.
Of course, there were occasions in which he looked out of sorts, but since almost every Chelsea player failed to perform consistently, we can cut him some slack.
Willian
There have been times this season when the Chelsea team needed a piece of individual brilliance and inspiration from somewhere and Willian has been able to provide just that.
Conte's decision to play 3-5-2 often hampered his playing time but whenever the likes of Hazard and Fabregas were unable to make the creative influence they like to assert, Willian stepped up brilliantly.
Despite losing against Barcelona in the Champions League, Willian was their brightest spark over the two legs and in their majority of games during that period. He has had a hand in 25 goals for the club this season which underlines his underlying importance.
Antonio Rudiger
A summer signing from AS Roma, Antonio Rudiger, unlike many other defenders, wasted no time in adjusting to the intensity of the competition. His aggressive and impulsive nature has helped the cause and he has been impressive this season.
He has also managed to score that odd goal on the other end of the pitch as well. He made 45 appearances for the club this season including a Man of the Match performance in the FA Cup final.
A bright, solid season from the German who can go on to become a mainstay in their defence in the coming years.
Thibaut Courtois
There have been no shortage of interest in Thibaut Courtois, particularly from Real Madrid, and there are even reports of him not committing his long-term future at the club. But all these exit talks did not stop him from being at his best for the good part of the season.
He kept a decent 15 clean sheets in the league, making 75 saves. He was a man in form in the FA Cup final and also produced a string of saves to deny Manchester United from finding the back of the net.
However, he has been held responsible to a large extent for their Champions League exit as the Belgian could have done better, particularly in the second leg at Camp Nou. But overall, an above average season for the keeper but not one of his best.
Grade A
N'golo Kante
Where would Chelsea be without this man? Scary, even to think about it
A proper machine, Kante did what he does best throughout the season. Intercept passes by cutting the opponents' passing lane, cover spaces left behind by the attackers and prove to be a thorn in their opponent's flesh throughout the game with his tenacity and work rate.
The Frenchman has averaged 3.4 tackles and 2.5 interceptions per game in all competitions and despite missing close to one month through a thigh problem he has made 48 appearances for the club.
Another excellent season for the player who was voted Chelsea's Player of the Year and rightly so.
Cesar Azpilicueta
As Terry had departed and as neither Cahill nor David Luiz did not enjoy the best of seasons, the onus fell on Azpilicueta to lead their line. He captained the team for the majority of the season and helped Christensen and Rudiger to settle into life at the club.
And, of course, it goes without mention that the Spaniard has been brilliant this season. He goes about his job silently and is a proper no-nonsense defender. Extremely sensible and always on alert, he has had to make last-ditch challenges many a time this season.
He and Morata instantly formed a telepathic relationship. Morata has scored 9 headers this season, 7 of which were assisted by Azpilicueta. He certainly deserves more recognition for the shift he puts in every week regardless of their results.
Eden Hazard
The single reason Eden Hazard has been given an A grade is because of his match-winning performance in the FA Cup final. Other than that, for a player of his stature, Hazard has not been up to the mark. And to be fair, he has set the bar really high for himself.
He managed to rack up only 12 goals and 4 assists in the league this season but being their playmaker-in-chief stats may not always necessarily showcase the impact he has in games.
He was not much of a fan of Conte's idea to play him in a central role and has even publicly commented about the same as well. This hindered his natural game of getting the ball near the touchline and running at defenders.
But despite all these issues, Hazard remains their talisman and his form very often decides Chelsea's results.
Grading the manager: Antonio Conte - B
After leading them to the league title in his debut season, Conte's name was sung far and wide by those associated with the club and for a moment it looked as if their revolving-door policy is coming to an end.
Chelsea had the liberty of having maximum rest between league games last season because of the absence of European football but things weren't the same this season. Added to this, another main reason why Chelsea's season derailed is owing to some abysmal transfer activity.
They let go off indispensable players like Diego Costa and Nemanja Matic and their replacements have been below-par. Conte has had his issues with the board throughout the season regarding transfer activities.
His team selection and approach have been constantly under the microscope as they could only manage to finish fifth in the league which could only guarantee them Europa League football next season.
He has been extensively linked with an exit from the club as a result and if there was a silver lining to the season, it would have to be their FA Cup triumph that saw Conte win his first ever domestic cup in his managerial career.
