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2017 was a year that saw Chelsea lift their 4th Premier League title and the Blues have given millions across the world a lot to cheer about. Yes, there have been a few lows in the year gone by, but Antonio Conte and his men have more often than not broken free of the shackles that surround them and put in several world-class performances.
While Chelsea are at a serious risk of losing their Premier League to the magnificent Manchester City, the Blues have been formidable in every tournament that have featured in the season thus far.
With 2017 behind us, it is perhaps time we took a look at 5 of the most impressive Chelsea players of the year.
#5 Marcos Alonso
If there is one player who has benefitted immensely from Conte’s decision to go with a 3-man defence, it has to be Marcos Alonso. The Spaniard has been phenomenal, to say the least, with his performances as the left-wing-back at the club and has only improved in the current season after a stellar showing in the last season.
After failing to impress during his time at Bolton Wanderers, Alonso returned to England after an impressive spell at Fiorentina and has established himself as a vital player under Conte. The Spaniard has showcased the right balance in attack and defence and has to be one of the best wing-backs in the Premier League.
He does not get caught out of position often, loves a tackle when he sees one and is a dominant presence in the air. He has constantly disrupted the opposition’s rhythm with his ability to regain possession via a mix of tackles (25) and interceptions (31) while also winning over 50% of the headed duels he entered into, making him a tough defender to get past for the opposition attackers.
While his defensive contribution is already impressive, what has perhaps been an improvement in his game in the current season is his attacking contribution. Alonso is currently Chelsea’s 2nd highest goal scorer in the League with 6 goals behind Alvaro Morata and has some crucial goals including winners against Tottenham Hotspur and Southampton and is the highest scoring defender in Europe's top 5 leagues.
#4 Thibaut Courtois
While the attack of every side garners all the attention throughout the season, often champion sides have a steady defence that functions like a well-oiled machine and Chelsea's defence laid the groundwork for their success in 2016-17 and one man, in particular, was at the heart of it all, Thibaut Courtois.
The Belgian has been one of the best goalkeepers through the 2016-17 season of the Premier League alongside David De Gea and deservedly won the golden glove last season for keeping a clean sheet in 16 out of the 36 appearances he made for the Blues. Courtois showed great reflexes, shot-stopping ability and is, in general, a dominant presence in the air to ensure that the Chelsea defence has proven to be a tough nut to crack for the opposition attackers.
While Chelsea are off the pace when compared to the high-flying Manchester City at the moment, there is no denying that Courtois has been consistent with his performances, making some crucial saves to keep Chelsea in the fray and has to be amongst the players who have ensured that the Blues remain on course for a steady finish to the season.
The Chelsea man has also shown great distribution ability and is one of the finest all-round goalkeepers in the world at the moment and has only gone on to better his performances season after since moving from Atletico Madrid.
#3 Cesar Azpilicueta
It would be fair to say that Cesar Azpilicueta has been one of the most consistent Chelsea players ever since he nailed his starting spot in the side. The Spaniard was instrumental in Chelsea’s title-winning campaign last season as he featured in every league game for the club and was a reliable presence at the heart of the side’s defence.
He combines his pace, physicality, and understanding to great effects so as to handle even the best in the business with ease and it goes without saying that Conte rates him very highly even referring to the Spaniard as the perfect centre-back.
The story has not been too different in the ongoing season as Azpilicueta continues to put in world-class performances. The defender has raked in impressive numbers, winning a whopping 55% of the duels he has entered into.
While his defensive record has been impeccable, his attacking contributions have not been poor. He can often be seen picking out a pass that would put several midfielders to shame and has also mustered an impressive 6 assists in the current season which puts him ahead of the likes of Henrikh Mkhitaryan, Mesut Ozil, Mohamed Salah and Raheem Sterling in the assists chart.
#2 N’Golo Kante
It would be fair to say that Kante has been phenomenal ever since he made a name for himself in England with his performances for Leicester City. The 2-time Premier League winner has gone from strength and the Kante juggernaut does not seem to be coming to an end anytime soon and Chelsea have been huge beneficiaries of his abilities in the middle of the park.
The Frenchman was another instrumental player in Chelsea’s title-winning campaign with his performances at the centre of the park and finished the last season brilliantly. His tireless energy and technical ability are something any manager would want and he continues to be a thorn in the flesh of every opponent he comes across.
Kante’s fearless game, his ability to not afford the opposition midfielders any time and space in the middle of the park as well as link up excellently with his teammates have made the Chelsea midfielder one of the most admired players of the current generation.
In addition to the dirty work that he so often does in the midfield, Kante has also shown great creative ability in the season thus far creating a total of 28 chances in 19 appearances and has made the £30 million transfer fee that Chelsea paid for his services seem like peanuts considering the inflated football market.
#1 Eden Hazard
When on song, there are very few players in the world who possess the ability to create havoc in the opposition camp better than Eden Hazard. Thankfully for millions of Chelsea fans across the globe, the Belgian has been in supreme form since the beginning of the 2016-17 season and has looked head and shoulders above the rest of the attackers on the pitch.
The Belgian has been a constant menace to the opposition with his pace, skill on the ball and the ability to find his teammates in advantageous positions on the pitch and the one player who has breathed fear into the lives of defenders. He has created chances at will (105 chances created in 2017 in the Premier League and the UEFA Champions League alone) and has been a joy to watch if you happen to be a Blue and was Chelsea’s best-attacking player through 2017.
Hazard bagged 16 goals in 2017 across all competitions and remains pivotal as ever to Chelsea’s attacking play, for they have looked pedestrian at times without their Belgian magician.
Chelsea remain in contention for several trophies going into the business end of the season and Hazard’s abilities on and off the ball are expected to be critical to Chelsea’s success.
