Chelsea FC: Top 10 Defender Goals

Ajitesh Rasgotra

By CFCUnofficial (Chelsea Debs) (Chelsea 3 Watford 0 FA Cup 3rd round) [CC BY-SA 2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

Chelsea FC enjoyed an undisputedly successful season last time out, capturing both the Capital One Cup and the Premier League. In the process they scored a total of 109 goals, with 20 of these coming from the defensive contingent of Filipe Luis, John Terry, Branislav Ivanovic, Kurt Zouma, and Gary Cahill.

With that in mind, let’s take a moment to countdown the top 10 goals scored by a Chelsea defender in the 2014/15 campaign.

Be warned, some of these are shockingly good.

Next: No. 10 - John Terry

John Terry – Leicester City (A), 04/29/15

You may watch this goal and think that it’s frankly pretty terrible. And you’d be right.

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The corner is whipped in to be met by the head of Gary Cahill, who forces the save out of Kasper Schmeichel. However, the Leicester City keeper can only parry it into a charging John Terry who bundles the ball over the line with his thigh, or something.

The reasons for including this goal are two-fold. First, they did only score 20 goals. Despite this being generally quite a high total for the defenders, there still wasn’t much to choose from. More importantly, though, this goal was a winner in 3-1 win that saw the Blues come from behind to leave themselves one win away from the title. After boring the hell out of everyone in a score draw with Arsenal the previous game, Chelsea secured this win to take them one step closer to the title.

Next: No. 9 - Branislav Ivanovic

Branislav Ivanovic – Burnley (A), 08/18/14

Branislav Ivanovic grabbed six goals for the Blues in this campaign, including this one away at Burnley as Chelsea opened up the season with a convincing 3-1 win.

There’s nothing more to this goal than a beautifully clean finish. Ivanovic met the incoming corner on the full, placing a side-footed volley out of the reach of Tom Heaton between the sticks for Burnley.

A neat goal on top of a performance that set the tone for the first half of the season.

Next: No. 8 - Kurt Zouma

Kurt Zouma – Watford (H), 01/04/15

Chelsea faced Watford in the 3rd round of the FA Cup, and ran out comfortable 3-0 winners. Kurt Zouma popped up with one of the goals, rounding off a very well worked corner with a solid header into the bottom corner.

Willian played a quick one-two on the inbound with Dider Drogba, before guiding it to Cesar Azpilicueta. After taking one touch, Dave clipped a ball in towards the back-post where an unmarked Zouma diverted it into the side of the net.

Unfortunately the Blues would go on to acrimoniously blow a two goal advantage and get dumped out of the tournament in the next round by Bradford, but I guess you win some, you lose some right?

Next: No. 7 - Gary Cahill

Gary Cahill – PSG (H), 04/11/15

Jose Mourinho’s men went into his 2nd leg protecting a slim advantage having grabbed an away goal in a 1-1 draw in the first match. After 81 minutes of deadlock, Gary Cahill found a ball at his feet and a goal at his mercy. He buried it.

Cesc Fabregas put in a corner that was met unconvincingly by a PSG head. It came to Terry at the back post who attempted to knock it down for Diego Costa. After a wild swing from the Spaniard it fell to Cahill who absolutely thundered it into the back of the net.

With nine minutes left and the quarter-finals in their sights, the West London club again blew it as David Luiz went up the other end to put the 10 man team back on level terms within five minutes. The Blues then went out after extra time.

Next: No. 6 - Branislav Ivanovic

Branislav Ivanovic – Liverpool (H), 01/27/15

Following a 1-1 draw in the first leg of the semi-final, Liverpool travelled to Stamford Bridge to try and end a five game winless run against the Blues in the return fixture. With the match into the extra time, Branislav Ivanovic stood up and grabbed the winning goal to send Chelsea to Wembley.

Willan put in the free-kick in the 94th minute only for Ivanovic to find himself unmarked on the edge of the six yard box to emphatically nod the ball home and send Chelsea to the Capital One Cup final. Cue celebrations, wheeling away, elation and all that goes with it as Mourinho reached his first final since his return to the club.

Of course, the Blues ended up winning the League Cup, on course to a League and Cup double.

Now we’re into the business end, it’s the top 5…

Next: No.5 - Branislav Ivanovic

Branislav Ivanovic – Everton (A), 08/30/14

While the Chelsea we saw during the second half of the season could reasonably be described as boring, you could certainly not say that about the team in the first few months of the season. Ivanovic makes the list for the third time as he helps the Blues to a 6-3 romp over Everton.

This is just great football. Neat link-up play between Eden Hazard and Costa precedes a sharp ball inside to Ramires who splits the defence to find the big Serb. A silky smooth turn and finish leaves Ivanovic looking more like Thierry Henry than a frightening right-back.

There’s not that much more to say really. Just wonderful.

Next: No.4 - John Terry

John Terry – Tottenham (N), 04/01/15

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The only reason that this goal finds itself this high on the list is due to the significance of it. In their first final under Mourinho’s second reign, Chelsea knew that a win in the Capital One Cup over Tottenham could really set the right tone for not just the rest of the season, but for the foreseeable future.

Having been rocked early on with Christian Eriksen’s free-kick hit the woodwork, who else but captain John Terry turned up on the stroke of half-time to convert a scrambled cross and give the Blues the lead.

Willian’s free-kick was poorly defended by the Spurs back line before falling to Terry, whose strike deflected off Harry Kane to nestle in the net. Chelsea would go on to win the game 2-0, and their first League Cup in eight years.

Next: No. 3 - Branislav Ivanovic

Branislav Ivanovic – Aston Villa (A), 02/07/15

Ivanovic can sure score some good goals, eh? For a fourth time he appears on this list showing off his sweet ball-striking skills once again, this time at Villa Park.

After some farcical defending (a theme for them throughout the season) from Aston Villa, Azpilicueta hacked the ball across the box into the path of Ivanovic, who belted the ball on the half-volley into the far side top corner.

1-1 at the time, this goal turned out to be the winner in the 2-1 victory, sending the Blues seven points clear at the top of the table.

Next: No.2 - Filipe Luis

Filipe Luis – Derby County (A), 12/16/14

A Capital One Cup quarter-final away at Derby County was the scene for Filipe Luis’s first competitive goal for his new club. It wasn’t too shabby either.

Hovering over a free-kick alongside Fabregas, no-one really expected him to be given the permission to have a dig at goal, especially given how far out he was. Nevertheless he went for it, and absolutely nailed it. A beautiful curling left strike was too good for Derby ‘keeper Lee Grant, pushing Chelsea FC two goals up in a game they’d eventually win 3-1.

This would be Filipe’s only goal of the season, and perhaps even of his Chelsea career should rumours be realised, but it certainly isn’t one to be ashamed of.

I’m sure he’s shown all his mates back home anyway…

Next: No.1 - Branislav Ivanovic

Branislav Ivanovic – PSG (A), 02/17/15

Here’s your number 1, and how more fitting could it be. A goal made by a defender, assisted by a defender and finished by a defender.

Going into this Round of 16 first leg tie, the Blues knew that an away goal would be crucial if they were to progress further in the Champions League. While the strikers couldn’t deliver, the defenders stepped up and did it themselves.

Terry, somehow finding himself out on the left flank, crosses the ball into the box to be met by Cahill, who plays a deft flick-on that beautifully holds up for Ivanovic to nod home.

Who needs Eden Hazard?

Yeah, fair, we still do but this was just a glorious goal that put a smile on terrible Sunday league hoofers around the world. There’s a little bit of skill in every defender, you just need to find it.

Credit: CFC Unofficial https://www.flickr.com/photos/cfcunofficial/16746473404/

Well there you have it, the top 10 Chelsea FC goals in the 2014/15 campaign scored by the defence. Are there any glaring omissions? Is there any tinkering that you would like to do with the order? Get involved and sound off in the comments below!

Next: Branislav Ivanovic's Top 5 Goals for Chelsea FC

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Ajitesh Rasgotra

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