Chelsea: Three best players of the 2022-23 season

Chelsea fans endured one of the worst seasons in the club’s history. The Blues finished 12th in the league with a mere 44 points, an alarming goal difference of -9, and only 11 wins. The club’s ambitions in domestic cup competitions were also cut short with early exits in both the FA Cup and EFL Cup against Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City and were knocked out by Real Madrid in the UEFA Champions League.

Four different managers were in charge at Stamford Bridge throughout the season, and performances under all four lacked identity and a concrete play style. The club even canceled its end-of-the-season awards ceremony due to the underwhelming season. It is tough to pick out the best players from a struggling side, but three Blues impressed this season amidst the turmoil.

3 best Chelsea players of 2022-23 season

Thiago Silva

The oldest player(38) in the Blues squad won the award for Chelsea’s Player of the Season. The honor is very well deserved by the Brazilian as he impressed in many departments and was a reliable figure in the squad, where almost everyone struggled to find their footing. Silva led the league in most goal-line clearances(4) and helped keep the goals conceded tally(47) below 50. The veteran defender topped many other stats as compared to his clubmates.

With 34 interceptions, 2,031 completed passes, 29 blocks, 109 clearances, and 2,331 touches, O’Monstro led from the front. Even at the age of 38, Silva is one of the fittest players as he played 2,352 minutes. Only Kepa Arrizabalaga(2,565) and Kai Havertz (2,578) played more than him. A true leader in every sense of the word.

Enzo Fernandez

CFC signed world cup winner Enzo Fernandez from Benfica in the winter transfer window. The Argentine jumped into the starting XI straight away and did not take long to adapt to the pace and physicality of the league. Although he just played half of the league games(18), his numbers are impressive and show he’s been putting in the work and has been better than those around him.

Since his debut in February, he has completed more through balls (11) and more accurate long balls(133) than anyone else in the league. Fernandez ranks third in passes completed(1,421), successful tackles(45), and touches(1,681) in comparison to his teammates. In all the games played, he has not only shown his technical ability but also his passion and grit. A bright spark in the West Londoners midfield who looks Premier League ready.

Raheem Sterling

The England international made the switch from Manchester City’s sky blue to Chelsea’s blue. Even the seasoned winger found it tough to get going at Stamford Bridge. Sterling is the only player in the squad that has more than 10 goals+ assists, with nine goals and 4 assists in all competitions. Only Havertz (10) is the other player to touch double digits with goals+assists, but it took him 47 appearances to reach the mark.

The former City winger did it in 38 appearances. In his last season for the Cityzens, he managed to score 17 goals and bagged nine assists in 47 appearances. It was not a great season for Sterling considering his prior standards but in a CFC side that struggled to make an impact in any competition, his performances and numbers make him stand out.

Mauricio Pochettino has been confirmed as the new Chelsea manager and fans would hope that he can improve the Blues performances next season. His first job would be to cut down the squad size and with the displays, these three have shown it can be safe to say they will have made a good initial impression on the Argentine coach.