Power Ranking Every Player for Chelsea in 16/17 Premier League Season
Chelsea topped the Premier League this season, but who is top of the pile when it comes to the Chelsea squad?
Antonio Conte's side has been complete with players performing at their peak throughout 2016/17. Eden Hazard has rediscovered his threat of old in the final third, while Diego Costa was back among the goals.
At the back, David Luiz surprised us all with his performances and Gary Cahill became the new John Terry. Then there was PFA Players' Player of the Year N'Golo Kante, who knitted it all together in midfield.
Only one player can be named as Chelsea's best, though. So join Bleacher Report as we count down our Stamford Bridge power rankings.
19. Asmir Begovic
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Chelsea's No. 2 goalkeeper only made two appearances in the Premier League all season. He suffered dramatically from Thibaut Courtois' return to form, featuring only against Manchester United when the Belgian was injured and also against Watford soon after the league title was wrapped up.
It seems Begovic—formerly so reliable for Stoke City—has suffered from a lack of game time, too. He was below par in both those appearances this term, and the expectation is that he may well depart Stamford Bridge in the search for a regular starting spot.
Chelsea may well be champions, but Begovic won't feel like he is.
18. John Terry
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He's departed Stamford Bridge a hero, but John Terry's final season with Chelsea was an anticlimax on a personal level.
As club captain, he was rightly the man to lift the Premier League trophy and was a figurehead throughout the entire campaign. This title success wasn't about Terry, though; for the first time in his 13 years as captain, the Blues were doing it without him.
That was good for Chelsea moving forward, but not for Terry. He spent the season watching from the sidelines as new leaders came to the fore.
What Terry deserves credit for is the way he accepted change under Antonio Conte; there was no moaning or complaining, just an acceptance that he was no longer a starter under the new regime. Terry showed his true character and played his part well, regardless of whether it was on the pitch or not.
As a player, which is what we're basing our power rankings on, he faded fast in 2016/17.
17. Kurt Zouma
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From being dubbed as the next Marcel Desailly, we're not quite sure how to label Kurt Zouma these days. Perhaps back-up is the safest place to start as he was forced to watch from the sidelines for much of 2016/17.
Zouma has been a victim to a horrible knee injury he suffered in February 2016 against Manchester United. Indeed, he's still on the comeback trail from that, attempting to rediscover the form that made him such a key figure before injury struck.
In Zouma's absence, Chelsea have changed managers and the style they play. Now he's learning a new side of his game to fit in under Conte, which is going to be tough when he has Gary Cahill, David Luiz and Cesar Azplicueta ahead of him.
Zouma made just three starts in the Premier League this season.
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16. Ruben Loftus-Cheek
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As the up-and-coming hope from the academy, Ruben Loftus-Cheek has been knocking on the door of Chelsea's first team for a few seasons now. Still we're waiting for him to break through and become the star his potential suggests he should be.
What hasn't helped is successive managers meddling with his position. Under Jose Mourinho, Loftus-Cheek was played a defensive midfielder, then moved to No. 10. Guus Hiddink did the same and now Conte has played him as a makeshift striker.
He's having to completely remodel himself and that seems to have stunted his growth. Loftus-Cheek didn't start a league game all season and seems to be slipping down the pecking order at the Bridge.
15. Nathaniel Chalobah
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Not to be confused with Michy Batshuayi, Nathaniel Chalobah's emergence this season has been one of the surprises in Conte's squad.
The former academy star hasn't become a regular in the starting lineup, but after six loan moves in five seasons, we didn't expect him to be anywhere near the Chelsea first team. From impressing in pre-season, however, Chalobah has done enough to convince the manager he is deserving of a chance.
He has a long way to go in terms of becoming a bona fide first-team player, but 2016/17 was a major step forward for Chalobah. It seems the only way is forward for a player who made a total of 10 league appearances this term.
14. Nemanja Matic
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Despite starting 30 Premier League matches in 2016/17, Nemanja Matic is one of the few Chelsea players who will be looking over their shoulder with dread this summer as his starting place seems to be up for grabs.
Whether it's Cesc Fabregas or a megamoney signing that takes it, remains to be seen. But we've seen that Conte views Matic as being dispensable when it comes to the starting XI at least, gradually rotating him with Fabregas toward the end of the campaign.
Matic returned to some of his best form this season, yet he lacks the same intensity that N'Golo Kante shows in midfield and it means fingers have been pointed at him at times. He's definitely of the quality to remain at Stamford Bridge beyond this summer, but we shouldn't be expecting him to be a regular as this team evolves.
13. Thibaut Courtois
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Winner of the 2016/17 Golden Glove award, Thibaut Courtois has looked more like the goalkeeper that ousted Petr Cech from Stamford Bridge. He's been a big figure throughout the title-winning campaign, deservedly remaining as No. 1 under Conte.
If Chelsea can ward off interest from across Europe, the Blues know they'll be in safe hands (excuse the pun) for the next decade or so when it comes to the goalkeeping department.
Courtois has presence in the box and, with a solid defence in front of him, ranks among the finest in the world.
12. Willian
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From being named Chelsea's Player of the Year last season, Willian hasn't had it all his own way in 2016/17. It's been far from it, with the Brazilian suffering from the Blues' change of system that empowered others in the Chelsea attack.
Still, from playing a supporting role in the early stages of the 3-4-3, Willian has edged his way back into Conte's plans, starting some big matches in the latter stages of the campaign. He remains second choice to Pedro, however, lacking when it comes to his final product in and around the box.
Whereas Pedro adds another consistent goal threat, Willian isn't as clinical. With the style Chelsea play, they need goals coming from all three of their attackers, and without being as ruthless, Willian has dropped down the pecking order.
11. Michy Batshuayi
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Were these power rankings written before Chelsea visited West Bromwich Albion—where they sealed the Premier League title—Michy Batshuayi would have been rubbing shoulders with the likes of John Terry and Asmir Begovic.
He would have been in the high teens after a debut campaign at Chelsea that saw the Belgian make little impact. Since then, however, he just misses out on the top 10; Batshuayi has rocketed his way up the rankings.
It's all because of his goalscoring form. Not only did Batshauyi score the goal that sealed title glory for Chelsea, but he's been in among them ever since. He found the back of the net against Watford on the back of the West Brom victory; against Sunderland on the final day, he bagged a brace to seal a 5-1 win.
Batshuayi has found momentum at the right time. He heads into the summer with confidence, showing he can score goals and that he has a future at Chelsea, especially with questions on going with Diego Costa.
It's incredible the turnaround the Belgian has seen in just three matches. Goals change everything.
10. Cesc Fabregas
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Cesc Fabregas is beginning to create a cult movement to rival Andrea Pirlo.
Similar players in the way they manipulate the ball and play the game, Fabregas is hinting he can do exactly what Pirlo did in the latter stages of his career. Of course, Fabregas is much younger than Pirlo was when his legend was truly born, but if he plays like he has this season at Chelsea, Cesc will have many years left in him yet.
Fabregas has been forced to fight like never before to remain at Stamford Bridge. He was dropped from the outset by Conte, yet over time he has forced his way back into Chelsea's starting lineup to have a devastating effect.
Fabregas has picked up 10 assists this season—more than any other Chelsea player. It's come from him floating in midfield, picking out teammates with his vision and execution. There are few better than him at it, and Chelsea have a major talent on their hands that can dictate the flow of games.
9. Victor Moses
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Not even Victor Moses could have predicted his season would end with a Premier League winner's medal draped around his neck. That he would become such a vital component in Chelsea's success would've made that prediction even more unlikely at the start of 2016/17.
Through a change of system at Chelsea, Moses has found his niche. He isn't a great attacker, nor is he a great defender; but to be a great wing-back, you don't have to be. Players just need enough of both to fit the mould and that's what Moses has done.
The trend of wing-backs is growing in the Premier League, and Moses has put himself right at the front of it.
8. Marcos Alonso
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For Marcos Alonso, read Victor Moses.
The Spaniard was largely unfancied when he joined Chelsea this season, but there was one person who had faith in him to deliver: Antonio Conte. That's all Alonso had to concern himself with and his transfer deadline-day move from Fiorentina has paid off spectacularly.
Like Moses, Alonso can rank himself as one of the leading wing-backs in the Premier League. He edges his teammate in these rankings because of his goal threat: Alonso rifled home a healthy six Premier League goals this season, which is more than Marcus Rashford, Henrikh Mkhitaryan, Paul Pogba and Wayne Rooney.
7. David Luiz
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From Sideshow Bob to one of the stars of the show, David Luiz's Chelsea return has been a glorious one. Who are we to say that players should never go back to clubs where they once had it so good?
Luiz has bucked every trend this season. He's been an assured presence at the back for Chelsea, expertly playing the libero role as the central defender in Conte's back three.
It makes sense that Luiz should be so effective in that area of the pitch. He doesn't have to defend as much as he would in a partnership and instead be able to express himself much more as a player. His ability in that department has never been questioned, and Conte has tapped into it to make Luiz one of the stars of Chelsea's season.
Now 30, he looks mature and ready to marshal Chelsea's defence for some time yet.
6. Diego Costa
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For the third season running, no player has scored more goals for Chelsea than Diego Costa (21 in all competitions). That's what every manager wants from their star striker and Costa continues to deliver.
He really is one of the world's finest players in his position. He has demonstrated again this season that he can score goals from all over the pitch and is the Blues' biggest threat in front of goal.
The question now is where does he go from here? Does Costa remain at Chelsea beyond this season to rival the legend status of Didier Drogba? Or does he cash in his chips and follow the pay cheque all the way to China?
If it's the latter, Chelsea have a big problem on their hands. Players of Costa's ilk are difficult to replace and whatever fee they can get for him, they'll have to spend on his replacement.
It's been a fine season for the Spain international, and Chelsea must try to keep at all costs.
5. Gary Cahill
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Chelsea's captain-elect, Gary Cahill's stock continues to rise at Stamford Bridge.
At a time when Antonio Conte was looking for a player to step in and fill the considerable boots of John Terry, Cahill has done that. He's enjoyed a fine season as a player and an even better one as the captain who has helped deliver a fifth Premier League crown for the Blues.
It says so much about Cahill that the captaincy has improved his performances. He's revelled in the responsibility, never shirking his commitments. That takes a lot and we've seen some players crumble in the past. Not Cahill.
With Terry leaving, he should be captain next season and is fully deserving of it.
4. Cesar Azpilicueta
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The only player to play every single second of the 2016/17 Premier League campaign, that statistic alone tells us how vital Cesar Azplicueta is to Chelsea.
To crunch those numbers, that means Azpilicueta has played 57 hours of Premier League football in 2016/17 (not including time added on), which breaks down to 3,420 minutes or 205,200 seconds if you want to be specific.
He's been a right-back, a left-back and now a right-sided centre-back in his Chelsea career. Azpilicueta has been exceptional in all three of them, outlining his ability.
3. Pedro
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Honest and tenacious, Pedro has spent 2016/17 reminding us of what a fine talent he is. After a slow start to his Chelsea career, the Spaniard is back to his Barcelona form, and it's no coincidence the Blues are being crowned champions in the process.
Pedro's form this season has been overshadowed by the hype of Eden Hazard and N'Golo Kante (indeed, they overshadow him in these power rankings), and it's meant he hasn't been afforded the praise he should have been.
From late November to the end of January, he was in devastating form, picking up the slack in Chelsea's incredible 13-game winning streak.
He was the missing piece in Conte's attack, joining Costa and Hazard as one of the main goal threats at Stamford Bridge. If he can maintain his form next season, winning the Champions League is a real possibility for Chelsea.
2. N'Golo Kante
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He's been busy sweeping the board when it comes to the personal accolades this season, but N'Golo Kante comes up just short in our power rankings.
The French midfielder has helped change the way Chelsea play football. There's a renewed resilience in midfield, brought about solely by his arrival from Leicester City. His presence has unleashed those players further forward, and the result has been clean sheets and goals.
Kante really has taken the Premier League by storm. The Blues don't function in quite the same without him.
1. Eden Hazard
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From Kante to Eden Hazard, the truth is that either player could have topped these rankings.
It's a chicken-and-egg situation as without players like Kante, players like Hazard can't be as effective. They need a platform to perform and do their business in the final third.
That said, the likes of Hazard win teams more matches than they will lose or draw. With Kante, he may be top of the list in stopping teams, but he lacks the same panache as Hazard to really punish them.
It's for that reason Hazard edges him here. This season he has been the difference-maker in an attacking sense for Chelsea; he is the Blues' talisman in every sense.
Hazard scores goals and creates them—and he doesn't even have to be in possession of the ball to do that. He's unselfish in the way he absorbs attention on the pitch, creating openings for others to exploit.
Time and again we saw that this season; time and again we saw Hazard create things all on his own volition.
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