Highest-scoring Chelsea XI in Premier League history

Chelsea are one of the most successful teams in the Premier League era. They have won five titles in the competition, all since their takeover by billionaire Roman Abramovich in the early 2000s.

It is no surprise that Chelsea have not hesitated to spend the big bucks to land quality players who have scored goals galore in the Premier League. The Blues had prolific scorers even before the arrival of Abramovich as well.

On that note, here's a look at Chelsea's most prolific goalscoring XI in the Premier League era. Without further ado, let's get started:

Goalkeeper - Petr Cech (0 goals)

Petr Cech has been a standout performer for Chelsea.

Only a handful of goalkeepers have scored in the Premier League, including one who played for Chelsea. However, no goalkeeper has scored in the Premier League for the Blues. So we've gone with Petr Cech, one of the finest custodians to have graced the competition.

Cech has played over 400 games in the Premier League, including 333 for Chelsea. The former Czech international has played a key role in four of the Blues' five Premier-League winning campaigns.

The 39-year-old is the only goalkeeper to keep over 200 clean sheets in the Premier League, a tally that includes 166 for Chelsea. The now-retired Cech works as an advisor at the Blues.

# Left-back - Marcos Alonso (23 goals)

Marcos Alonso is a prolific goalscoring defender.

Marcos Alonso is one of the most prolific goalscoring defenders in Premier League history.

The 30-year-old left-back has played over 150 games in the competition with three different clubs. But most of his Premier League appearances have come with Chelsea, with whom Alonso has won his lone English top-flight title. He has scored at least two league goals in each of his five full campaigns with Chelsea.

Alonso, a dead-ball specialist, opened his account for the season by scoring Chelsea's 50th direct free-kick goal in the Premier League.

In six league appearances in the ongoing season, the Spaniard has also tallied an assist.

# Centre-back - John Terry (41 goals)

John Terry is one of the most successful and goalscoring defenders in the history of the Premier League.

Terry has scored at least one league goal in each of his last 17 Premier League campaigns, after going scoreless in his first four. The 40-year-old has won all five Premier League titles with Chelsea as the club's captain, a record in the league's history.

He had a presence at both ends of the field. In his most prolific Premier League campaign (2011-12), Terry scored six times. Though Chelsea didn't win the league that year, they captured their first Champions League title.

# Centre-back - Branislav Ivanovic (22 goals)

Branislav Ivanovic was a prolific scorer for Chelsea.

Branislav Ivanovic is another prolific goalscoring defender in the history of the Premier League. He played most of his 274 games in the competition with Chelsea, with whom he won three Premier League titles.

Now a free agent, Ivanovic formed a formidable central-defensive partnership with Terry for almost a decade. The Serb scored all of his 22 Premier League goals for the Blues.

Ivanovic, who was also renowned for his tackling prowess and blocking ability, enjoyed his best Premier League season in 2014-15. He scored four league goals and assisted six in the Blues' triumphant campaign.

# Right-back - Dan Petrescu (17 goals)

Dan Petrescu was a goalscoring full-back for Chelsea.

Long before Chelsea became a force to be reckoned with in the Premier League, Dan Petrescu scored goals galore while galloping down the right flank. The former Romania international spent five of his ten-season Premier League career with Chelsea, for whom he scored 17 times in the competition.

In his most prolific Premier League campaign in 1997-98, Petrescu scored five goals and provided an assist to help Chelsea finish fourth. He also played for Sheffield Wednesday, Bradford City and Southampton in the Premier League.

# Central Midfielder - Frank Lampard (147 goals)

Former Chelsea manager Frank Lampard is one of the most prolific goalscorers in Premier League history.

With 177 goals, most of them for Chelsea, Lampard has scored the most Premier League goals by any midfielder. During a successful 13-season stint with the Blues, he won three Premier League titles. The all-time Chelsea top scorer scored at least ten league goals in as many successive seasons in the English top flight.

His most prolific season in the Premier League came in Chelsea's victorious 2009-10 campaign, scoring 22 times and assisting 16.

# Central Midfielder - Gustavo Poyet (36 goals)

Gustavo Poyet was a prolific goalscorer for Chelsea.

Gustavo Poyet had a short but eventful stint in the Premier League. The Uruguayan midfielder spent four of his seven campaigns in the competition with Chelsea.

Poyet was renowned for scoring spectacular goals for the Blues, none more so than the one that helped Chelsea register a huge opening-day win in 1999. He scored at least ten league goals in four straight seasons, three of them coming for Chelsea.

Poyet went goalless in his last two Premier League seasons with Tottenham Hotspur, though.

# Defensive Midfielder - Michael Essien (17 goals)

Michael Essien found success with Chelsea.

Michael Essien is one of the finest defensive midfielders to have graced the Premier League.

During a near decade-long stint in the competition, Essien made over 150 appearances, all with Chelsea. The two-time Premier League winner was a behemoth in the middle third of the pitch, breaking up opposition plays and kickstarting attacks for his team.

Essien also won the UEFA Champions League and three FA Cups during his stint at Stamford Bridge.

# Left Winger - Eden Hazard (85 goals)

Chelsea vs Arsenal - UEFA Europa League Final

Eden Hazard is one of the most skilful players to have played for Chelsea. That may not seem to be the case if one has a look at the Belgian's underwhelming returns since joining Real Madrid.

But Hazard was a force to be reckoned with during his seven-season stint with Chelsea, especially in the Premier League. The two-time Premier League winner scored several exquisite goals during a hugely successful stint at Stamford Bridge.

The 30-year-old is one of the most prolific scorers against the Premier League's big six.

He has scored seven times against both Arsenal and Liverpool. Hazard has netted six times against Spurs, five times against Manchester United and four times against Manchester City too. Most of these strikes have come in the Premier League.

# Striker - Didier Drogba (104 goals)

Didier Drogba is one of the most lethal strikers to have graced the Premier League. In his near-decade-long stint in the competition, Drogba played over 250 games, scoring over a hundred goals, all for Chelsea.

The four-time Premier League winner was a quintessential goal poacher, capitalizing on the smallest of lapses in the opposition rearguard. Drogba played a stellar role in Chelsea's 2009-10 Premier League triumph, scoring 29 goals to win his second Golden Boot in the competition.

The 43-year-old also won the UEFA Champions League and four FA Cups during his successful stint at Chelsea.

# Right Winger - Willian (37 goals)

Liverpool FC vs Chelsea FC - Premier League

Willian enjoyed a fairly decent eight-season stint with Chelsea, scoring 37 goals in over 200 Premier League games.

The 33-year-old won two Premier League titles at the club. In his most prolific league campaign with Chelsea in 2019-20, the Brazilian scored nine goals and provided seven assists to help the club finish fourth.

At Arsenal, whom he joined last season, Willian became the most capped Brazilian player in Premier League history.

The winger is now back in his native Brazil after a lean 2020-21 Premier League campaign. He scored just once as Arsenal failed to qualify for Europe for the first time in more than two decades.

About the author

Bhargav is a veteran sports journalist and editor at Sportskeeda, with a rich professional experience of 17 years, working for the likes of Siemens and Bombay Dyeing. An avid football and tennis follower for over three decades, Bhargav uses his vast knowledge and experience, attention to detail, an unbiased yet interesting writing style, and thorough research to craft insightful articles, which have raked in over 20 million reads so far.

Bhargav supports Italy at national level, a team steeped in tradition and history according to him. He still harbors the heartbreak from the Azzurri’s 1994 FIFA World Cup final defeat against Brazil, and protagonist-turned-antagonist from the game, ‘Divine Ponytail’ Roberto Baggio is his all-time favorite player. His favorite manager is Marcelo Lippi, who ended Italy’s 24-year wait for the World Cup trophy, winning it in 2006.

Outside Europe’s top five leagues, he follows the MLS following Lionel Messi’s move in 2023 but favors Cristiano Ronaldo in the G.O.A.T. debate. During his free time, Bhargav enjoys driving off to new places and singing.

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Edited by Rohit Mishra