Chronology of Gianfranco Zola's Career-Defining Goals at Chelsea

Gianfranco Zola is a bona fide Chelsea legend. Along west London's famous King's Road, heroes don't come much bigger than the Italian.

That's a very deliberate paradox there, as Zola, standing at just 5'6", was among a selection of diminutive types to grace Stamford Bridge in the mid-to-late 1990s, alongside Dennis Wise, John Spencer, Gavin Peacock and others.

What he lacked in height, Zola made up for in stature, though. His arrival at the club in November 1996 was a key part of the Blues' transformation under Ruud Gullit. Zola's presence revolutionised the way Chelsea played football and carried them all the way to FA Cup success just seven months later.

Zola's influence was felt all over in west London, with players such as Frank Lampard and John Terry later stating what an influence he was on their respective careers.

But if Lampard and Terry are symbolic of Zola's impact as a person, the Italian burned his legacy as a player into the minds of Blues supporters through his performances. He was sensational, scoring some breathtaking goals throughout his decorated Chelsea career.

Join us as we pay homage to a hero of the Premier League by recounting some of his career-defining strikes in Chelsea blue.

Chelsea 2-2 Everton, December 12, 1996

MAX NASH/Associated Press

Zola had only been a Chelsea player for a couple of weeks when Everton visited Stamford Bridge in the Premier League.

Blues fans had heard all about Zola's brilliance, and the excitement that surrounded his arrival remained high as they watched in expectation for him for produce. Well, he didn't leave them waiting too long, as he pulled off a moment of magic against the Toffees to score his first Blues goal from a free-kick.

His legend was born; Chelsea fans had a new hero to worship with Zola's free-kick starting the love affair in earnest.

Chelsea 3-1 West Ham United, December 21, 1996

Just two weeks after his Everton strike, Zola did something even more breathtaking when he turned West Ham United's Julian Dicks inside out to score one of the finest goals Stamford Bridge has seen in the Premier League.

Dicks was left in a daze, looking over his left shoulder and right, trying to find Zola as he weaved in and out to take him on a merry dance. When Dicks realised where Zola was, it proved too late—the ball was in the back of the net.

Dicks had twisted blood when Zola was finished with him. It was the same for most defenders he would face.

Chelsea 1-1 Manchester United, February 22, 1997

In the late 1990s, it took a lot to upstage Manchester United's Class of '92. By the time Zola faced Sir Alex Ferguson's all-conquering side in February 1997, the Red Devils were hitting full maturity with a team complete with the likes of Paul Scholes, Ryan Giggs and David Beckham.

The headlines all belonged to Zola, though. Not only did he leave Denis Irwin in his wake with a wonderful bit of skill in the penalty box, but he cut inside to unleash a shot that left the great Peter Schmeichel rooted to the spot.

This was peak United. Few, if any teams or players, could leave them feeling inferior and bruised. Zola did, and soon Chelsea would.

Chelsea 3-0 Wimbledon, April 13, 1997

Before they became MK Dons, Wimbledon were the bogey team for plenty of Premier League sides. They celebrated their Crazy Gang moniker, using it to good effect against teams like Chelsea, who fancied themselves as more cultured in their style.

Wimbledon would often get the better of the Blues, which is why an FA Cup semi-final against the Dons was flagged as a massive hurdle in Gullit's side reaching the final.

While pundits and fans alike feared the worst for Chelsea, the Blues didn't have to worry. They had Zola on their side, and he produced a sublime performance at Highbury to inspire his team-mates and send them through to the FA Cup final.

Mark Hughes scored twice that day, but the goal neutrals and Blues still talk about is Zola's. Just take it in.

Chelsea 1-0 Stuttgart, May 13, 1998

The definition of a superstar is the player who turns up and makes a difference at the moment his team needs him most. In the modern era, it's what Eden Hazard and Diego Costa have been doing for Chelsea. Before them, it was Didier Drogba and Frank Lampard.

Going a little further back, it was Zola. And he did it in the Cup Winners' Cup against Stuttgart to give Chelsea their first European trophy in 27 years.

Zola had been on the bench, but within a minute of coming on, he scored a wonder goal to seal victory. Cometh the hour, cometh the man.

Chelsea 4-0 Norwich City, January 16, 2002

The early stages of Zola's Chelsea career saw him produce goals that he would later repeat throughout his time at Stamford Bridge. There were wonderful free-kicks like his first against Everton, dazzling individual goals in the same vein as his finish against West Ham.

But none of them were like his goal against Norwich City in the 2001/02 FA Cup. After a a goalless draw with the Canaries, Chelsea brought them back to Stamford Bridge for the replay, where they picked them apart to breeze through as comfortable winners.

It all seemed fairly routine until Zola pulled off the impossible with an audacious back-flick goal from a corner. Like most Chelsea fans, we've watched it back over and over and we're still trying to work out exactly how he did it.

And as for Rob Green, the Norwich goalkeeper, our money is on him still being confused!

Think of Zola, you think of this goal.