Top 5 Chelsea Defenders In The Premier League Era – Including A Former Arsenal Defender

When it comes to defending, fewer sides have done it better than Chelsea. In 2004/05, they conceded just 15 goals all season – it has become part of the club’s culture.

As such, Stamford Bridge has been home to some truly world-class defenders in the Premier League era. But who are the best?

We’ll be looking at every Chelsea team since 1992/93 for the purposes of this list. In our selection, we’ve picked out a former Arsenal defender – can you guess who it is?

Graeme Le Saux

One of the most underrated defenders in Premier League history, Graeme Le Saux often struggled with injuries throughout his career – but this didn’t stop him from being a first-class left-back.

Le Saux spent two spells at Chelsea – the first spanned from 1989-1993, with the second coming between the years of 1997 and 2003.

The Jersey native also played for Southampton and Blackburn Rovers during his time as player – he was part of the famous Blackburn team that won the Premier League in 1995.

Thiago Silva

Thiago Silva joined Chelsea during the twilight of career – nevertheless, the ageless Brazilian is still one of world football’s leading defenders.

He possesses superhuman positioning and anticipation skills. Silva is brilliant at guarding his area, but he’s also fantastic at launching himself into last-ditch tackles.

Defensively, there is nothing that Thiago Silva cannot do. He’s not as fast as he used to be – but given his advanced age of 38, this is more than understandable.

Cesar Azpilicueta

One of the most reliable Chelsea players ever – even during the Blues’ many slumps over the past few years, Azpilicueta can always be counted on to put in an admirable shift.

Capable of playing anywhere across the back four, Azpilicueta is most comfortable when deployed as a right-back. He’s not the most attacking-minded of full-backs, but his defensive doggedness is something to behold.

He is currently Chelsea’s longest-serving player, having been at the club since 2012. In that time, the Spaniard has won two Premier League titles, four FA Cups, two Europa League trophies and one Champions League trophy.

Ashley Cole

Arguably the greatest left-back of all time, Ashley Cole may not have been a fan-favourite – much of this owed to his unsavory antics off the pitch – but his talents cannot be denied.

Defensively, there have been very few full-backs better than Cole – if any at all. He was part of the famous ‘Invincibles’ at Arsenal, before making the controversial jump to the Blues.

As his pace and physicality dwindled, so did the quality of his performances – nevertheless, when he was in his prime, Ashley Cole was a winger’s worst nightmare.

John Terry

It simply couldn’t be anyone else. John Terry’s raw defensive ability was simply legendary – there’s a reason he played for the Blues for so long.

Terry spent an eye-watering 19 years at Chelsea – he also had brief spells at Nottingham Forest and Aston Villa over the course of his illustrious career.

The Barking boy also enjoyed a lengthy period as Chelsea captain. He was given the captaincy in 2004, which he held on to until he left the club in 2017.