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A lion's share of Chelsea's unprecedented success in the last decade or so is down to Roman Abramovich. Ever since the Russian billionaire took over, Chelsea's influence in the Premier League football has seen a considerable rise.
When delving into history, hotshots like Manchester United and Arsenal might have a glittering past to brag about, but the Blues are in the process of writing their own. So much so that in the past three years, their exploits have seen the taunts like 'A club with no history' have died out.
A large number of players in their greatest XI are from the era since the 90s. Let's have a look at who among these make the greatest line up of the club.
Formation: 4-2-3-1
Goalkeeper
Petr Cech
Who else other than Petr Cech? The shot-stopper has been one of the chief witnesses and contributors to Chelsea's growing legacy in the footballing world. In his eleven years between the goal posts at the Stamford Bridge, he produced quite a lot of stellar performances.
No other overseas player in Chelsea's history has a better appearance record than Petr Cech. He holds 494 appearances to his credit and stands sixth in the list of all-time appearances made for the club. He kept 228 clean sheets - enough to make him a legendary figure at the Bridge.
Although a clash with Stephen Hunt in 2006 against Reading might have ended his career, Cech never wavered when it came to brave goal-keeping. Playing with a headgear since that incident, the goal-keeper was a vital cog in Mourinho's defence that won them back to back titles.
Being the centrepiece of Chelsea's dream season of 2011-12, the shot-stopper denied Leo Messi a penalty that might have seen Barcelona make the Uefa Champions League finals.
Against Bayern Munich, he rose to the mantle again, denying Bayern three penalties (one in the stoppage time and two in the following shoot-out) as Chelsea clinched their first ever European title.
If there ever was a keeper who made it hard for Lionel Messi to score, it was this man. And though he might have joined Chelsea's direct rivals, that won't do much damage to his legacy in West London.
Centre-backs
John Terry
Mourinho's teams are said to be strongly built around the defence, and John Terry was an important cog in Chelsea's backline during his spell at the club. The defender established himself as one of the best centre-backs during an illustrious 19-year career with the Blues.
With 713 appearances for the club, the Englishman held the armband for 578 games at Chelsea. Perhaps the most striking of his statistics is his unusual goal haul. After Roberto Carlos, John Terry has the most number of goals (66) as a defender. That tally is certainly down to his movement during corners and set-pieces.
A robust protector at the heart of the defence, Terry earned a reputation as a fearless defender on the pitch, apart from praises for his intelligent style of play at the back. And though he might boast a fair share of controversies off the field, he is one of the best defenders in the Premier League era, if not the best.
Ron Harris
Collaborating with him at the back is Ron Harris, perhaps the greatest footballer ever to play for Chelsea. He pulled on the blue shirt for a record 795 times, making him the player with the highest number of appearances.
During his time with the club, Ron Harris earned the nickname 'Chopper', thanks to his hard tackling style. Back in the day though, it wasn't really infamous! The Englishman was well-reputed for his tough tackling and no-nonsense defending on the pitch.
Harris is truly a Chelsea great in many ways. He became the Chelsea captain to lift their first FA Cup and the European Championship trophy. Although the Londoners suffered relegation twice, the Englishman was true to his colours, staying with the outfit during their dark times.
Fullbacks
Ashley Cole
Chelsea had Ashley Cole marauding down the left channel for eight years. The contract rebel who joined from Arsenal became instrumental in a newly reincarnated Chelsea under Roman Abramovich.
The Englishman earned rave reviews at the club for his positional sense and his scathing forward runs to support the attack. Though Cole made some severe mistakes in the early stages of his career, the left-back grew matured enough to earn a reputation for his goal-line clearances. Cole is undoubtedly one of the best left-backs to have played in the Premier League era.
In circumstances such as the ones against Napoli and Barcelona, Ashley Cole made extremely vital clearances that further proved crucial in winning them games. That was back in the 2011-12 season, and is there any need to remind you people of what happened next that year?
Cesar Azpilicueta
The Champions League triumph helped Chelsea a lot in signing world class players and Cesar Azpilicueta was one of the names on the shopping list. Fast forward six years, the Spaniard has rightly established himself as one of the best left-backs currently active in the Premier League.
Though he is originally a right-back, Azpilicueta can operate well on either of the flanks with equal ferocity and possesses a stellar tactical flexibility. The Spaniard's incredible stamina helps him feature regularly.
Jose Mourinho rightly praised the talented wing-back, quoting that with a team of 11 Azpilicuetas, he might have won them a second Champions League title. It seems a pity to see how a dextrous player like him is also one of the most underrated players in the world. Nonetheless, £7 million seems to be an absolute bargain for the former Marseille defender.
Defensive Midfielders
Michael Essien
Michael Essien is arguably the greatest midfielder Ghana has ever produced. Chelsea had toiled extremely hard in getting the Ghanian's signature while he was at Lyon. Needless to say, after ten glorious seasons, the Bison didn't disappoint.
Being one of the first acquisitions of the Abramovich-Mourinho era, Michael Essien exceeded expectations, as the Portuguese gaffer challenged Sir Alex Ferguson's supremacy in the league. While the Blues won their first ever Premier League title and another one the following year, he was the revving engine of their midfield.
Initially, Lampard and Makelele had very good seasons before Essien's arrival. Yet, Chelsea's prayers for a typical box-to-box midfielder with good defensive and decision-making abilities were answered when the sturdy midfielder joined the club, giving Mourinho the much required tactical flexibility.
He was a typical Mourinho player; strong and well-built and blessed with good defensive attributes. So much so that the Special One didn't hesitate in teaming up with the Ghanian at Real Madrid, albeit for a single season.
Claude Makelele
Essien's partner-in-crime in the middle is Claude Makelele. Although he was underrated at the Bernabeu, Makelele proved Florentino Perez wrong when he redefined the defensive midfield role that we see today
Following his exploits in that position, the Chelsea fans have lovingly renamed it as the 'Makelele role' in honour of the dynamic Frenchman.
With a stocky build, Claude Makelele ruled games from the heart of the midfield, dictating the tempo with his positional sense, tactical intelligence, and ball-winning attributes. The midfielder was well-versed in pulling out perfectly timed challenges and breaking up plays with great anticipation. Also, Makelele was well-known for holding the ball against physically stronger opponents and awareness at the centre of the park.
His link-up play between the defence and attack helped the Blues attackers win games like never before. He can certainly make it as one of the best players ever coached by the Special One. Makelele was perhaps the best parting gift from Claudio Ranieri to not only the Blues but the Premier League as well.
Attacking midfielders
Eden Hazard
Eden Hazard's acquisition can be deemed as the most vital transfer the Londoners have pulled out in the last five years. The Belgian has made the Premier League his own since arriving from Lille in 2012.
Eden Hazard has everything you would want to see in a classy attacking midfielder - pace, vision and a keen eye for goals. In the five years since his arrival, no player has achieved a better tally of assists than the 26-year-old.
Considering his contributions to Chelsea's title-winning seasons, it seems Sir Alex Ferguson's denial in shelling out $34 million for Hazard was perhaps his biggest mistake. He would have been a great number 7 for Manchester United.
Frank Lampard
Playing at the centre and beside Hazard is Frank Lampard. Well, do we even need to speak about this man? He is undisputedly the greatest player ever to ply his trade at the West London club.
211 goals in 648 appearances - that's what makes Lampard the greatest Premier League midfielder of his generation. Apart from Super Frank's tenacity in terms of scoring goals, the Englishman edged over others with a rare versatility. He was equally effective in a defensive role as much as in attack. Lampard also gained a wide reputation as a free-kick and a penalty specialist.
Although the former West Ham man would have done better in retiring in a Chelsea shirt, he will always remain a beloved figure at the Bridge, regardless of his departure.
Gianfranco Zola
The last slot on the right is filled by none other than Gianfranco Zola. In the eight seasons he spent at Stamford Bridge, Chelsea's 'Magic Box' always knew it would be tough to play in England, owing to the physical rigours of the league. Yet, his short stature didn't deter him from establishing himself as one of the legends to ply his trade in the Premier League.
Zola was well-versed in the art of dribbling and much like Leo Messi, he was extremely balanced while dribbling. His ability to change directions due to a low centre of gravity allowed him to create spaces to feed the ball to his fellow teammates. Combine that with his free-kick and penalty-taking abilities and you have a complete explosive package in the attack.
Chelsea will always remain indebted to Zola, who was one of the greatest Italian forwards to have graced the Premier League.
Striker
Didier Drogba
The King. Didier Drogba can relax when it comes to owning the crown as the Bridge's undisputed emperor. In the two stints he had with the club, the Ivorian has entrenched himself as the best striker ever to pull on the famous blue shirt.
Of course, he was a fantastic finisher, but it was his physical strength that made him unplayable at times. He was a tailor-made striker for the Premier League, always at ease while facing tough-tackling defenders. Strong in the air and also known for his free-kick abilities, Didier Drogba was the ideal lone-striker to be played up front.
During his time at Stamford Bridge, the Ivorian earned wide acclaim for being an enforcer in big games. He has scored in 10 finals and won 10 trophies. The finest moment of his Chelsea career was the 87th-minute header in the Champions League final, which he forced through with precision and brutal strength.
There's no doubt Drogba will enjoy walking down the memory lane of his glittering career with the Londoners.
