Real Madrid are going to be facing Chelsea, a team that has more struggles off the pitch than on it, in the quarter-finals of the Champions League this season. On paper, this looks to be a pretty even game. Real Madrid arguably have the better players in most positions, but here’s the thing, Chelsea’s main asset is not any player. It’s their coach, Thomas Tuchel, who has made a system that hides a lot of the team’s weaknesses and focuses on their strengths.
That being said, Chelsea do have a bunch of players that are very, very good, and can cause Real Madrid some trouble. I want to talk about their five best players this season.
Before that, let’s talk about some players that, in my opinion, aren’t as good as the ones listed, but are still fantastic in their own right. Honourable mentions, you could say.
Firstly, we have to mention Hakim Ziyech. Ziyech is one of the biggest reasons why they are still competing for the titles they are competing for. The Moroccan star put Chelsea on his back and dragged Chelsea over the finish line on multiple occasions. Without him, I don’t know where Chelsea would be. Of course, he doesn’t play as much as he would want to, but Ziyech still poses a lot of threat whenever called upon, and that alone should make Real Madrid think about how to handle his trickery.
Then you have Edouard Mendy, another great player. Perhaps one of the world’s best goalkeepers, he deserves all the attention and praise he’s been receiving since the start of 2021. Maybe he belongs on this list over someone else that I will pick. Maybe I am wrong, but it’s my list. It’s all subjective at the end of the day, and it’s about having fun.
Chelsea would have a hard time replacing Antonio Rudiger when he leaves at the end of the season. Real Madrid were (or, according to Fabrizio Romano, still are) interested in signing him as a free agent next season, and if he does end up joining, it’d be a fantastic signing in my opinion, although it would be a little expensive for a third choice centre-back. But, hey, it gives the team a lot of options, and if he ends up joining, I wouldn’t mind it one bit. He is amazing, and he’s been one of Chelsea’s best players.
Oh! Before I forget, special thanks to The Pride Of London’s Gabe Henderson for being an absolute legend and helping me out with these rankings.
And now, let’s get to the final five…