Cesc Fabregas Most Important Player in Chelsea's Title Quest

Cesc Fabregas scored his first Premier League goal for Chelsea on Saturday as the Blues claimed a 2-1 away win at Crystal Palace to maintain their five-point lead at the summit of the English top flight.

It was a sensational goal in which the Spaniard exchanged passes with teammate Oscar to scythe open the Eagles defence before he sent a fine finish into the back of the net, per football writer Miguel Delaney:

Not only did it effectively seal the three points for Chelsea—as it made it 2-0—but it perfectly illustrated just how good Fabregas has been so far this season and what he has brought to Chelsea's game.

It was a move reminiscent of Barcelona's tiki-taka style at its very best, per Squawka, but it is not simply the passing mastery that Fabregas has brought from his former club: 

As former Manchester United defender and Sky Sports pundit Gary Neville recently wrote in The Daily Telegraph, the former Arsenal man is capable of running games on his own:

"In Cesc Fabregas, Chelsea have a player who is not just a provider or a goalscorer but a midfield architect comparable to the likes of [Andrea] Pirlo, [Paul] Scholes and Xavi."

Chelsea's most obvious new superstar this season has been Diego Costa, the former Atletico Madrid man having bagged nine Premier League goals in seven matches so far this season, per WhoScored.com.

And there is no doubt that Costa is a significant upgrade on last season's front men Fernando Torres, Demba Ba and Samuel Eto'o.

However, it is Fabregas' continued form and influence that is most important for Chelsea if they are going to win the Premier League this season.

Costa was absent on Saturday—left out of the squad after his international travails—but Fabregas' presence was absolutely essential in winning what could have been a tough game at a stadium where they were beaten last season, per Squawka:

As Neville highlights, Fabregas' importance is not merely the amount of goals that he scores or assists he provides, but the fact that he creates an environment in which his teammates can perform to their best.

He holds onto the ball and can pick it up anywhere on the pitch—whether it be deep in Chelsea's own half or on the edge of the opposition box—and still have the vision to pick out the right pass.

Fabregas scored eight times and provided 13 assists for Barca in La Liga last season, per WhoScored, but was still considered surplus to requirements, hence his sale to Chelsea.

Those kind of stats would not suggest a player on the peripheries of a team, but due to the presence of Xavi and Andres Iniesta at Camp Nou, Fabregas was not playing in his most effective central-midfield role and went largely unappreciated.

At Chelsea, he is taking up that position, and he is thriving, per sports writer Nik Postinger:   

His vision, awareness and link-up play have allowed players like Costa, Oscar and Eden Hazard to perform to their best, and the Blues are currently unbeaten in the Premier League, having scored 23 goals in eight matches.

That being said, it is not as though Fabregas is lacking in goals and assists. He may have only just opened his Premier League account for Chelsea, but he has already provided seven assists, per WhoScored.

This season's Chelsea team are one of the most exciting to ever come out of Stamford Bridge, and Fabregas is at the heart of it.

How Arsene Wenger must be kicking himself for not taking the opportunity to re-sign him at Arsenal in the summer. But the Gunners' loss is Chelsea's huge gain, and if Jose Mourinho's side are to win the title this season, Fabregas will have been the architect of the triumph.