The greatest Chelsea XI of all time

Attacking midfielders

Eden Hazard

Hazard is Chelsea's best signing of the decade

Eden Hazard's acquisition can be deemed as the most vital transfer the Londoners have pulled out in the last five years. The Belgian has made the Premier League his own since arriving from Lille in 2012.

Eden Hazard has everything you would want to see in a classy attacking midfielder - pace, vision and a keen eye for goals. In the five years since his arrival, no player has achieved a better tally of assists than the 26-year-old.

Considering his contributions to Chelsea's title-winning seasons, it seems Sir Alex Ferguson's denial in shelling out $34 million for Hazard was perhaps his biggest mistake. He would have been a great number 7 for Manchester United.

Frank Lampard

Frank Lampard is the greatest player ever to don a Chelsea shirt

Playing at the centre and beside Hazard is Frank Lampard. Well, do we even need to speak about this man? He is undisputedly the greatest player ever to ply his trade at the West London club.

211 goals in 648 appearances - that's what makes Lampard the greatest Premier League midfielder of his generation. Apart from Super Frank's tenacity in terms of scoring goals, the Englishman edged over others with a rare versatility. He was equally effective in a defensive role as much as in attack. Lampard also gained a wide reputation as a free-kick and a penalty specialist.

Although the former West Ham man would have done better in retiring in a Chelsea shirt, he will always remain a beloved figure at the Bridge, regardless of his departure.

Gianfranco Zola

Gianfranco Zola was nicknamed as 'Magic Box' by Chelsea supporters

The last slot on the right is filled by none other than Gianfranco Zola. In the eight seasons he spent at Stamford Bridge, Chelsea's 'Magic Box' always knew it would be tough to play in England, owing to the physical rigours of the league. Yet, his short stature didn't deter him from establishing himself as one of the legends to ply his trade in the Premier League.

Zola was well-versed in the art of dribbling and much like Leo Messi, he was extremely balanced while dribbling. His ability to change directions due to a low centre of gravity allowed him to create spaces to feed the ball to his fellow teammates. Combine that with his free-kick and penalty-taking abilities and you have a complete explosive package in the attack.

Chelsea will always remain indebted to Zola, who was one of the greatest Italian forwards to have graced the Premier League.