Chelsea's Best All-British Premier League XI vs. Best Overseas XI
Every club has its heroes and legends. Chelsea are no different.
During the Premier League era, the Blues have called some of the world's finest players their own, with stars from across the globe wearing their famous colours.
Chelsea have also boasted some fine British talent, too.
With all this in mind, how would a Chelsea British XI fare against their foreign counterparts from the Premier League? Who would make a combined XI?
With limited spaces available, there are some big names missing in our list. You won't find Michael Ballack here, for instance, or Michael Essien, simply because we ran out of space. After all, there are only 11 places in any team, with each position limiting the numbers further.
What you will find are two teams crammed full of talent, though, with a list of some fine players who have served Chelsea well.
In order to offer some form of balance and equal comparison, we've opted for a 4-3-1-2 formation.
As ever, these lists are subjective, so if you feel we've omitted your favourite player, you know how to let us know. Enjoy.
Goalkeepers
1 of 5
Dave Beasant vs. Petr Cech
Dave Beasant played for Chelsea in the Premier League's inaugural season, having featured for the Blues since their return to the top flight in 1989.
Like Petr Cech, he stood at over 6 feet tall, but that's where the comparison between the two ends.
Beasant was a good enough goalkeeper, although his status comes nowhere near Cech's.
Now at Arsenal, Cech is Chelsea's greatest goalkeeper. He broke every record at the club during his decade-long spell in west London, winning every major honour in club football, too.
Both goalkeepers are symbols of the teams they represented. In Beasant's time, Chelsea were OK, but not especially outstanding; Cech's Chelsea were world-class.
Defenders
2 of 5
Right-back: Steve Clarke vs. Branislav Ivanovic
Both Steve Clarke and Branislav Ivanovic were or have been accomplished right-backs for Chelsea.
Clarke spent 11 years at Stamford Bridge as a player before moving into a coaching role that eventually saw him promoted to assistant manager in 2004 under Jose Mourinho. He stayed in that role until 2008. He was a big part of the Chelsea fabric in the 1990s and was a solid performer at right-back.
As we know, Ivanovic remains a Chelsea player and has made the right side of defence his own, even though he was signed as a centre-back in January 2008.
Despite a poor start to 2015/16, he has proved himself an exceptional player in his eight seasons and, given all he's achieved in that time, edges Clarke in the right-back stakes.
Left-back: Ashley Cole vs. Celestine Babayaro
The debate is whether or not there's been a better left-back in the Premier League than Ashley Cole, let alone at Chelsea.
The Englishman was the leading talent of his generation at left-back, despite the rapid decline we've seen in the latter stages of his career.
Babayaro is on a hiding to none in this contest. The Nigerian started his Chelsea career in OK form but was never consistent enough to build on the potential he undoubtedly had in his younger years.
Centre-back: John Terry vs. Marcel Desailly
This is a tough one to call, as both have been bedrocks of the success Chelsea have enjoyed in the last 20 years or so.
Terry is the golden boy of Stamford Bridge, having come through the youth ranks to win every major honour as captain. Desailly was his mentor, though, and helped change the culture of the club during his six years in west London.
If we're looking for a leader, Terry wins this battle. But if we're looking for impact and significance, Desailly wins out, given how he helped take Chelsea forward from the moment he arrived in 1998.
We'll have to call this one a tie.
Centre-back: Gary Cahill vs. Ricardo Carvalho
The Englishman has surprised many onlookers with how he has emerged as a first-choice centre-back at Stamford Bridge. He has fought off plenty of challengers to earn that status, too, including the high-profile David Luiz.
He loses this battle for supremacy with Carvalho, though.
The Portuguese was a smooth operator. Excellent defensively, he was just as good in possession and going forward. He was close to being the complete defender and was an assured presence alongside Terry, forming a formidable partnership in the time they played together.
Cahill has been equally as impressive for Chelsea but comes up just short in the overall-class category.
Midfielders
3 of 5
Frank Lampard vs. Roberto Di Matteo
Both midfielders were known for scoring important goals in their Chelsea careers.
Di Matteo scored the fastest-ever goal in an FA Cup final at the old Wembley Stadium to all but gift-wrap the trophy for Chelsea in 1997. He also scored in the last FA Cup final before Wembley was redeveloped to win Chelsea the trophy again with a 1-0 victory over Aston Villa in 2000.
Lampard trumps him with the goals that sealed Chelsea's first league title in 50 years, though. He also scored in 2008's Champions League final—becoming the first Chelsea player to score in a European Cup final.
When it comes to goals, no midfielder can touch Lampard in the Premier League era. Indeed, no player at Chelsea can touch him in the club's entire 110-year history, as he is the the Blues' leading goalscorer.
He would make any midfield selection in any Chelsea fantasy team.
Dennis Wise vs. Claude Makelele
Both are club legends, and given all they achieved with Chelsea, it's difficult to choose one over the other.
Wise was a mainstay in the Chelsea midfield throughout the '90s and captained the club through thick and thin. He was a real hero of the Shed and is still revered at Stamford Bridge today.
If we're looking at footballing ability, Makelele just shades it. His impact at Chelsea was such that the holding midfield position has been named after him.
Gavin Peacock vs. Arjen Robben
Chelsea's British contingent in the Premier League era lets itself down somewhat in attempting to add some width and dynamism to the midfield.
The Blues have never had a player from the home nations who can really get at teams. In the 1980s, the likes of Pat Nevin and Paul Canoville were the standout names in that regard, but there hasn't been one in the Premier League.
Gavin Peacock made a habit of scoring big goals—think of his two against Manchester United in 1993/94 that ensured Chelsea did the double over the reigning champions, winning both games 1-0—but he isn't in the same category as Arjen Robben.
The Dutch winger was breathtaking in the three seasons he spent at Chelsea, doubling up with Damien Duff to give Jose Mourinho's side a significant attacking threat.
He was dynamic, had incredible pace and was capable of tearing through the meanest of defences.
No. 10
4 of 5
Joe Cole vs. Gianfranco Zola
Neither Cole nor Zola were No. 10s in the traditional sense, but in our 4-3-1-2 formation either could play behind the frontmen. Both had a bag full of tricks and were clever enough to cut through defences and cause problems.
Cole's biggest downfall is that he didn't score enough goals, whereas Zola did. He was a threat in every regard, scoring goals and making them.
The diminutive Italian is one of Chelsea's greatest, and while Cole enjoyed a successful career with the Blues, even he would agree that Zola is a cut above.
What a privilege it was to watch Zola in the Premier League. He was a truly fantastic player.
Strikers
5 of 5
Mark Hughes vs. Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink
We're opting for Mark Hughes here.
Hasselbaink was a big goal threat, but Hughes offered what few strikers do. He was physical, knew how to bully defences and wasn't goal-shy himself.
Too often he changed games almost single-handedly during his Chelsea career, and it was his form alongside Gianfranco Zola that saw the Blues enjoy plenty of success in the late 1990s.
Hughes arrived at Stamford Bridge at the back end of his career but still looked every inch the player we saw in his pomp at Manchester United.
John Spencer vs. Didier Drogba
Wee John Spencer is a cult hero at Chelsea, simply for being the second half of one of the Premier League's shortest-ever strike partnerships.
When he lined up alongside Mark Stein, they stood, err, 5'6" tall. They were hardly imposing physically but had enough about them to score goals.
When we think of imposing Chelsea strikers at any point in the club's history, few come close to Didier Drogba. Put simply, he's the finest frontman the club has ever seen and would always line.
He scored goals when they mattered most, and had it not been for his performances in 2011/12, Chelsea wouldn't have lifted the Champions League trophy.
There's a banner at Stamford Bridge—currently being loaned to Montreal Impact—that simply reads: "Drogba Legend."
That he is.
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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