Ranking and Grading Chelsea's Defenders on Form This Season
Chelsea's form has picked up under Guus Hiddink, with the Blues remaining undefeated in the Premier League since his arrival in mid-December.
That run of 12 matches has pulled the reigning champions up into the top 10 with an outside chance of qualifying for Europe next season via the league.
A big part of that has been the return to form of Chelsea's defence. We've seen it record more clean sheets than at any time of the season, while defenders have also chipped in with some key goals.
It hasn't all been so jolly, of course. Chelsea have struggled at times, and a leaky defence didn't help their cause in the first part of the campaign.
With all that in mind, who ranks as Chelsea's defensive rock? Who needs to improve, and which player offers hope for the coming years?
Join Bleacher Report as we rank and grade Chelsea's defenders on their form this season.
NB: Only defenders who have played competitive matches this season have made it into our list.
7. Baba Rahman
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Jose Mourinho said earlier this season that Baba Rahman wasn't quite ready for Premier League football and would need time to settle in at Chelsea.
Now that we've seen the Ghana international more frequently, it's clear Mourinho's sentiments weren't misplaced. The ex-Chelsea manager may well have lost his Midas touch with the first team , but Mourinho's eye for spotting talent still remained before his dismissal.
Rahman's Achilles' heel is what he offers defensively. In attack, he looks an exceptional talent who is capable of causing the opposition problems and giving Chelsea an added dynamic when on the front foot. It's at the back where he has failed to impress.
Rahman gets caught out of position much too often, and his lapses in concentration have seen him give away goals in the games he has played.
He needs to work hard on improving that area of his game; otherwise, he'll find his time at Stamford Bridge will be short-lived.
Let's not be too harsh on Rahman, though. We need to remember that he is still just 21 and, despite Chelsea's paying around £17 million for him, he is still developing. He needs time to fully justify that price tag.
Grade: D
6. Branislav Ivanovic (Right-Back)
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We're grading Branislav Ivanovic as two players in this list, simply because he has appeared as two completely different players for Chelsea this season.
As a right-back, it's been alarming to witness his powers wane so rapidly. Once among the Premier League's and Europe's best last season, Ivanovic's form on the right side of defence has been a big part of Chelsea's demise this term.
He's looked slow, and pacey wingers have exploited that since the opening weekend against Swansea City, when Jefferson Montero completely dominated him.
This season has been a transitional one for the Premier League as a whole. We've seen the status quo shaken up with Leicester City and Tottenham Hotpsur gatecrashing the top four, while others such as Watford have surprised many.
Football has changed too, with wide men become en vogue once more, and as a result, the likes of Ivanovic have suffered.
Grade: C-
5. Gary Cahill
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Gary Cahill is another of Chelsea's defenders who hasn't quite hit the heights we know he can this season.
Last year he was excellent at the back in Chelsea's title charge, but this time out he's looked edgy at key moments, and that indecision has been costly.
It hasn't helped Cahill's cause that Chelsea's defensive-midfield area has been dramatically weak this season. That's meant attackers running at the Chelsea defence seemingly at will, leaving the likes of Cahill to plug what has been a gaping hole.
He struggled with that, but now Chelsea have shored things up, Cahill is looking comfortable once more and is looking more like the player we have known since he joined the Blues in January 2012.
Grade: C
4. Branislav Ivanovic (Centre-Back)
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Branislav Ivanovic appears in our list for a second time, but now as a centre-back.
Since he moved from the right side of defence to deputise for the injured John Terry last month, the Serb has looked a player reborn. The contrast in performances has been staggering.
From struggling to contain opponents on the flank, Ivanovic has set himself up as one of the leaders in this Chelsea team in recent weeks. He's looked strong and assured, comfortable playing in his natural central position.
That's a big thing for Ivanovic. He's been a right-back for the best part of seven seasons at Chelsea, but he was signed as a central defender. It's been a long time coming, but now we're seeing him put in some of his best displays of more recent times.
We're expecting Terry to depart Stamford Bridge in the summer, and if that happens, Ivanovic has positioned himself perfectly to inherit his place in the Chelsea team.
Grade: C+
3. John Terry
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If this is to be John Terry's last season at Chelsea, it won't go down as being one of his finest.
After playing every minute of Chelsea's title-winning campaign last year, Terry's been missing at big moments this season. He's become dispensable, as Jose Mourinho showed when substituting him at half-time against Manchester City in August.
There was a time when it would be unthinkable for Chelsea to get by without Terry at the back, but now we're seeing him gradually phased out.
That said, he has been among the Blues' best defenders this term. He's still got an exceptional footballing brain and reads the game like the Terry of old; it's his physical condition that hasn't helped, and his teammates are having to work hard to cover that up.
Terry's long been Chelsea's leader, and now the club needs to start planning without him.
Grade: C+
2. Cesar Azpilicueta
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We've already mentioned Chelsea defenders being forced to play out of position, and Cesar Azpilicueta has continued to do that for much of the season.
The Spaniard's problem is that he's the club's best right-back and also the No. 1 left-back, so where do managers play him?
Recent weeks have answered that question: Azpilicueta needs to play on the right, as it's where he is most effective defensively and in attack. He works the flank more efficiently than he does on the left, and Chelsea have a better balance.
It says plenty about his ability that even when deployed on the left, Azpilicueta still looks comfortable and provides Chelsea's defence with a solid look.
He's one of the unsung heroes in this Chelsea side.
Grade: B
1. Kurt Zouma
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For all the negatives that have defined Chelsea's season, the emergence of Kurt Zouma has been a major reason for Blues fans to feel encouraged.
The French youngster has developed rapidly in the 18 months he has been part of the first team to the point that he has dislodged Gary Cahill as John Terry's preferred defensive partner.
Zouma's pace was his standout quality in the early stages of his Chelsea career. Now we're talking about his positioning and the way he marshals the backline.
At just 21, Zouma has a bright future ahead of him, and he's arrived on the scene at the ideal time for Chelsea. The club will under go a major transition at the back this summer, and Zouma's sure to emerge as the player around whom the Blues will build their future.
Grade: B+
Garry Hayes is Bleacher Report's lead Chelsea correspondent. All quotes were obtained firsthand unless otherwise noted. Follow him on Twitter @garryhayes
