Chelsea: Ranking Best and Worst Players for February
With just four games played, it proved a quiet February for Chelsea as they maintained their push for honours at home and abroad.
In the Premier League, they defeated Aston Villa 2-1 at Villa Park, while Willian secured a dramatic three points with his 89th-minute winner against Everton.
A 1-1 draw with Burnley was embroiled in controversy when Nemanja Matic was sent off for violent conduct after he shoved Clarets striker Ashley Barnes to the ground, the Chelsea midfielder having been on the receiving end of a horror tackle.
Chelsea's last-16 Champions League tie with Paris Saint-Germain is finely poised after a 1-1 draw in the Parc des Princes, too. Branislav Ivanovic had put Chelsea ahead in the French capital with a vital away goal, but Edinson Cavani drew the Ligue 1 champions level.
All in all, it was another productive month, with Chelsea remaining undefeated.
Who were the star performers of Jose Mourinho's side? We count down from the worst to the best.
18. Juan Cuadrado
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Juan Cuadrado is still settling in to life at Chelsea, so we can't be too critical of his form.
That said, the Colombian isn't looking like an upgrade on Andre Schurrle just yet.
Cuadrado failed to impact any of Chelsea's games in February, featuring in all four. He was a substitute against Aston Villa and Paris Saint-Germain, starting against Everton and Burnley.
Jose Mourinho has himself predicted we won't see the best of Cuadrado until next season, and on this evidence, the Chelsea boss is probably right.
17. Filipe Luis
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Injuries meant that Filipe Luis made just the one appearance for Chelsea in February, coming against Burnley at the back end of the month.
He missed the trip to Aston Villa and also the home game with Everton, meaning he wasn't 100 per cent match-fit to face Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League.
When a player is injured, he's never going to make an impression, and for that reason, Luis ranks low in our list.
Whenever he has featured for Chelsea this season, the Brazilian has looked a class act, and February wasn't a reflection of the impact he has made at Stamford Bridge this term.
16. Didier Drogba
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With Diego Costa suspended in early February, Didier Drogba led the line in the 2-1 win against Aston Villa.
It was the game that showed us the Ivorian is human after all.
Drogba wasn't exactly poor that day, but with a lack of action and his ageing years, we saw a player who is well beyond the height of his powers.
He still has plenty to offer Chelsea, but Drogba's role is now limited to cameo appearances.
15. Loic Remy
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February wasn't a great month for Chelsea's strikers, with not one of them finding the back of the net in the four games Chelsea played.
Loic Remy still looked like a threat in front of goal as he attempted to build on his encouraging display against Manchester City in late January.
Remy is a talented striker, possessing all the attributes to be a success in west London. He's not as physical as Diego Costa or Didier Drogba, but he knows how to lead the line and his movement can cause problems for defenders.
Right now, he needs to work out how he can master the art of playing back-up to Costa, though, who is always going to start the majority of games.
14. Diego Costa
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As mentioned in the previous slide, Diego Costa was suspended for much of February, missing half of Chelsea's games on the back of his three-match ban for an alleged stamp on Liverpool's Emre Can in the Capital One Cup semi-final second leg.
Jose Mourinho predicted the Spain international would be rusty upon his return to action, and we got just that.
Costa battled against Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League but looked off the pace, and it was the same against Burnley.
The nature of Costa's talent is that he'll always cause problems for teams, but lacking that match sharpness, he wasn't quite the threat in February that we know he can be.
13. Cesc Fabregas
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Illness and injury in February prevented Cesc Fabregas from continuing the fine form we have seen him in this season.
It was a hamstring injury picked up against Liverpool in late January that saw him sidelined for the best of a fortnight, before coming down with a bout of flu.
He's getting back into his groove after a period out, though, and with appearances against Paris Saint-Germain and Burnley under his belt, we can expect him to be back to form in the coming weeks.
February wasn't his best month, however.
12. Oscar
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It's post January and Oscar's traditional dip in form has set in.
The Brazilian did it in 2013 and 2014, and we're seeing the same again.
From being so influential in the first half of the campaign, Oscar is drifting in and out of games, unable to make an impact.
That's a worrying sign for Jose Mourinho, as with so much to play for between now and May, the Chelsea boss needs key players such as Oscar to be on form.
February was a disappointing month for Oscar, especially given the standards he has set in the past.
He must improve for March and beyond.
11. Cesar Azpilicueta
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Cesar Azpilicueta is one of the most reliable players in this Chelsea squad. Week in, week out, we know what we're going to get from the Spaniard.
He's reliable, is rarely exposed and helps bring a balance to the Chelsea back line.
Had it not been for some exceptional performances from players elsewhere in the Chelsea team, he would have ranked higher.
As ever, in February, we got the Azpilicueta we've come to expect.
10. Willian
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The theory is the signing of Juan Cuadrado has forced Willian to up the ante somewhat at Stamford Bridge.
Truth be told, the Brazilian was in excellent form long before that.
He has made the right side of midfield his own at Chelsea, winning the battle for supremacy with Andre Schurrle.
And as he proved against Everton in February, he is good for the odd goal.
His strike against the Toffees was exceptional, coming in the 89th minute to give Chelsea a vital three points in a game where they had huffed and puffed and struggled to blow Everton's house down.
How important will that goal be come the end of the season?
9. Ramires
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February was the renaissance of Ramires, with the Brazilian working his way back into Jose Mourinho's plans.
With the addition of Cesc Fabregas last summer, his role in this Chelsea team wasn't clear.
Ramires doesn't possess the vision and influence of a man of Fabregas' ilk, yet neither is he skilful and inventive enough to command a place among the attacking midfielders further forward.
What he does have is an incredible work rate that helps break up the opposition play and get Chelsea back in possession.
He did that in February, making a big impact.
8. Gary Cahill
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After a difficult spell in late December and January, Gary Cahill rediscovered his form in February, proving a vital cog in Jose Mourinho's defensive machine.
He's got a fight on his hands with the emergence of Kurt Zouma, but Cahill has shown he is more than capable of keeping the French youngster at bay.
Cahill is a reliable presence at the back, and he's helped John Terry return to the form that made him such a great leader this past decade.
There's more to do if Cahill is to be regarded as highly as he was in the beginning stages of the campaign, but February was a good place to start.
7. John Terry
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Chelsea's captain, leader, legend, continues to defy the trappings of age.
February was another excellent month for John Terry, starting all four of Chelsea's games.
There have been times when the Blues have been up against it, under the pressure and forced to batten down the hatches this season.
When they have, it's always Terry leading from the front and getting them through it, inspiring those around him.
It was a similar case in Paris when PSG went searching for a second goal, but Chelsea held out, and they had their captain to thank for it.
6. Nemanja Matic
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Nemanja Matic may have ended the month suspended after his clash with Ashley Barnes, but it was still a good February for the Serbian.
The difference he has made to this Chelsea team has been incredible since returning to the club in January 2014.
Indeed, with Matic's forced absence, it has shown what an exceptional player he is.
Without him, Chelsea lack presence in the defensive midfield area, and it has shown whenever he has been absent.
He allows Cesc Fabregas to play his own game, mopping up in front of the defence to provide a valuable security blanket.
5. Kurt Zouma
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Since the turn of the year, Kurt Zouma's emergence at Chelsea has been one of the success stories of the season.
He started the campaign a raw talent, but now looks like a wise investment by Jose Mourinho.
Zouma goes from strength to strength, and February was another positive month for him.
He may not have been Chelsea's best defender, yet his continued growth outlined what a talent he is going to be, and it's encouraging to witness.
3/4. Petr Cech and Thibaut Courtois
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Right now, there's not even a cigarette paper between Petr Cech and Thibaut Courtois.
It's why we've ranked them together for their exploits in February.
Courtois saw the most action, featuring against Aston Villa, Paris Saint-Germain and Burnley, while Cech deputised against Everton.
Courtois was exceptional in the 1-1 with PSG, making some key saves to keep Chelsea level in the tie.
Just a week earlier, however, Cech had done something similar when he kept a clean sheet against Everton.
The Czech stopper made some excellent saves to deny Romelu Lukaku at 0-0, and that gave Chelsea the platform to win the game 1-0 late on.
Jose Mourinho has the headache all managers desire: Who does he pick?
2. Eden Hazard
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Chelsea's player of the season thus far, Eden Hazard is unrelenting.
The Belgian enjoyed another productive month in February, scoring against Aston Villa and playing his part in Chelsea's success elsewhere.
Everything goes through him, and he is a major threat, hence Hazard is the most fouled player in the Premier League this season, according to WhoScored.
He was awarded with a new five-and-a-half year contract, too, a sign of the way he has developed into such a key figure at Stamford Bridge.
1. Branislav Ivanovic
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Chelsea scored five goals in February, and Branislav Ivanovic claimed three of them.
They weren't just goals, either; they all came with some significance.
His strike against Aston Villa won Chelsea the game, while goals against Paris Saint-Germian and Burnley helped secure 1-1 draws on both occasions.
No defender is ever judged on the goals they score, but Ivanovic is becoming so prolific that when he doesn't find himself on the scoresheet questions are being asked.
He's now on 19 Premier League goals for Chelsea, and one more will tie him with Fernando Torres. It's an incredible stat.
Most impressive about Ivanovic, however, is that his goalscoring hasn't detracted from his defensive responsibilities. He's a solid performer and a key part of what Chelsea have built at the back.
Garry Hayes is Bleacher Report's lead Chelsea correspondent. All quotes were obtained firsthand unless otherwise noted. Follow him on Twitter @garryhayes
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