As top-flight football in England returns this weekend, we take a look at the numbers behind Chelsea’s history across 27 seasons of the Premier League.
The inaugural Premier League season replaced the old First Division and officially started on 15 August 1992, featuring 22 clubs. Chelsea were original members and have taken part in the competition every year since. A total of 49 clubs have played in the Premier League since its inception.
Who has the most titles?
The Blues are second on the list of most successful Premier League clubs with five titles. Our first was lifted in 2004/05 under the management of Jose Mourinho with a then record-breaking 95 points, with the crown defended the following campaign in our Centenary year.
2009/10 saw us win the Double for the first time in the club’s history, with 103 league goals scored by Carlo Ancelotti’s free-flowing side and Didier Drogba claiming the Golden Boot. Mourinho was back at the helm as we won our fourth Premier League in 2014/15 with three games to spare, while Antonio Conte matched his predecessors by winning the title in his first year in England two years later.
Manchester United have the most Premier League titles with 13, with north-west rivals City on four and Arsenal with three.
Which player has featured the most for Chelsea in the Premier League era?
John Terry’s 492 league appearances puts him comfortably ahead of the pack, with our new boss Frank Lampard in second on 429. Petr Cech is next as our most-featured overseas player with 333 games.
Eden Hazard was leading the way among our current squad before his summer departure to Real Madrid and the Belgian’s total of 245 appearances could be overtaken in 2019/20 by Cesar Azpilicueta, who is just 10 behind. Willian follows on 198, then David Luiz (160), Pedro (126) and Kante (105).
Who is our top Premier League marksman?
Lampard’s 147 league goals as a Chelsea player included plenty of memorable strikes; his brace beyond Jussi Jaaskelainen to secure the title in 2005, a thunderous effort at Goodison Park in 2006, an exquisite chip into the top corner away at Hull City two years later and his 200th Blues goal scored against former club West Ham at Stamford Bridge.
He is comfortably clear as our top Premier League marksman, 43 ahead of Drogba’s haul (104) and some way ahead of Hazard (85) in third. Of our current squad, Pedro and Willian currently lead the way with 28 goals apiece.
Lampard also has the most Premier League hat-tricks for Chelsea (3), along with Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink and Drogba.
Which Chelsea keeper has the most clean sheets?
Unsurprisingly, Cech has recorded the most league shutouts for the Blues over the past 27 years of Premier League action. He still holds the record for most clean sheets kept in a single season (24) and won the Golden Glove award four times.
Kepa Arrizabalaga made a strong start in his first campaign in SW6 with 14 clean sheets last term.
Lampard’s legacy
Third on the all-time list of appearance-makers and fourth top goalscorer, Lampard’s mark on the Premier League was significant and he remains one of the greatest to have played in the competition.As a Chelsea player, he hit double figures for goals in 10 successive seasons and he remains one of just three players (alongside Ryan Giggs and Wayne Rooney) to record both 100+ goals and 100+ assists in Premier League history.