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Chelsea seems to have a great squad this season. Under Maurizio Sarri, they are off to a great start. Jorginho has been controlling the tempo of games, and is making Chelsea a quicker team.
Kovacic adds another dimension to that midfield. He is a great passer and can also carry the ball from the back. Kante is playing in a more advanced role and seems to have fit in perfectly. All three midfielders create a lethal combination.
Pedro seems to have regained his old form, and Eden Hazard is back to his best. In defense, Marcos Alonso cannot stop scoring or assisting. Ross Barkley, Cesc Fabregas, and Ruben Loftus-Cheek are coming off the bench, which goes to show the depth Chelsea have.
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With 4 wins from 4 games, Chelsea look to be improving under Sarri, and could give Manchester City and Liverpool competition for the title. Some might say that they are indeed dark horses this season.
Despite the good form and great squad, Chelsea fans always have a few players dear to them that they always will miss. In this article, I talk about 7 players that every Chelsea fan misses.
#1 Frank Lampard
Frank Lampard had to be on this list. Chelsea's leading goalscorer, Lampard had been a loyal servant to Chelsea for the time he spent with them. His innate ability to make runs at the right time has not been replaced by anyone.
Chelsea fans also miss having a midfielder who could score from outside the box. Chelsea right now has tons of great midfielders like Jorginho, Kovacic, and Kante but none are like Lampard. Aside from his qualities, he was a true Blue which is why he is adored by almost every Chelsea fan.
Lampard is now managing Derby County and is off to a good start. They have won four of their first six games, and are fourth on the table. While Maurizio Sarri is great, if Lampard ever wants to return to Stamford Bridge as a coach or manager, I am positive that Chelsea will welcome him.
#2 Ivanovic
Chelsea actually found the perfect replacement for Ivanovic in Azpilicueta. Having said that, they still miss Ivanovic. While Ivanovic eventually just did not have enough pace to play at right back, in his prime he was fantastic.
He was fearless and always had a knack for a goal. He also won Chelsea the Europa League in 2013 by scoring a header last minute.
Ivanovic also has 3 Premier League trophies to his name. He was also part of the team that won the Champions League Final.
Ivanovic was versatile and could also slot in at center back when needed. While the Serbian could score a lot of goals, my favorite moment of him is this video with Eden Hazard.
#3 Ramires
Down 2 goals to Barcelona at the Camp Nou, facing elimination. In steps Ramires. That chip over Valdez will be stuck forever in the mind of every true Chelsea fan. Ramires seemed to have unlimited energy, and while he wasn't as good as Kante, it would be amazing to see both of them playing together in midfield.
He was humble and got through his job quietly. He may never have got the recognition which other players at Chelsea had, but he probably scored the most important goal in Chelsea history.
The Brazilian now plays for Chinese club Jiangsu Suning. He is 31 now, and so is at the twilight of his career.
#4 Ashley Cole
Having a left back who can actually defend has become an alien concept to the football World. In Marcos Alonso Chelsea have a great attacking full-back, but not so great defensively. Ashley Cole was perfect. Even Cristiano Ronaldo admitted that one of the toughest defenders he ever faced was Cole.
Ashley Cole may come off as arrogant to some, but he was adored by Chelsea fans. He left Arsenal for Chelsea and ended up winning the Premier League and Champions League. He also won 4 FA Cups, one League Cup, and a Europa League.
If given a choice, Chelsea fans would love to have a young Ashley Cole in their squad in place of Marcos Alonso.
#5 Mikel Essien
Essien had to be on this list. Known as The Bison, Essien in his prime was unstoppable. He was the perfect box to box midfielder. While he preferred to play in midfield, he could also slot in at the back. At Real Madrid, he even played in the right-back position.
Apart from his work rate, Essien also had great vision and passing ability. Over his time with Chelsea, he scored some stunning goals. His most famous goals are his volley against Barcelona and his long-range strike against Arsenal.
Essien was a great player but always put his team first. He sacrificed his position and often played injured. For that reason and more every true Chelsea fan misses The Bison.
While there a lot of videos of his goals, the video I love about Essien is Jose Mourinho talking about him.
#6 Petr Cech
Chelsea let go of Petr Cech so that they could give Thibaut Courtois an opportunity. That did not work out so well. With Courtois gone, Chelsea has invested in Kepa. While it is yet to be seen how Kepa turns out, it is fair to say that every Chelsea fan misses Cech.
Cech is very dear to Chelsea fans as he was vital in the Champions League Final, saving 3 penalties and allowing Chelsea to lift the cup. Adding to that, Cech also won 4 Premier Leagues in his time at Chelsea.
Cech is arguably the greatest keeper to ever play at Chelsea, and at one time was in the top 3 goalkeepers in the world. He has always remained dignified and classy despite his move to Arsenal. If possible Chelsea fans would love to get a younger version of Cech back at Chelsea.
#7 Didier Drogba
For a while, Chelsea fans thought that they had found a replacement for Drogba in Diego Costa. Costa was excellent while he was at Chelsea, but he never really could replace Drogba.
Drogba was arguably one of the best strikers ever to play the game. His power and skill along with his ability to turn up for big games is second to none. Without Drogba, Chelsea does not win the Champions League Final. His header is etched in the minds of every Chelsea fan.
Drogba was always a big game player. While Stamford Bridge was his home, he was always deadly at Wembley as well. He also loved playing against Arsenal. Chelsea fans would love to have Drogba in their team in place of Morata or Giroud.
