Hazard, Kante, Azpilicueta, ChelseaGetty

Who is Chelsea’s Player of the Season?

Chelsea are aiming to bring some respectability to a season that has seen them offer a limp Premier League title defence, with the FA Cup now their last chance of silverware.

The club has been in some turmoil as Antonio Conte's future continues to be questioned, while eight new signings have struggled to compete on all fronts at their new club.

Conte has relied upon Chelsea's established stars rather than his new signings, although there has been a notable contribution from Antonio Rudiger. Andreas Christensen has found it difficult of late but is surely destined for stardom as his breakthrough season at Stamford Bridge has seen him play ahead of David Luiz.

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Willian and Marcos Alonso are notable mentions, too, but they miss out on our trio of top Blues.

After much deliberation, Goal has selected Chelsea's top three performers of the 2017-18 season - let us know how you feel about the choices in the comments section below.


3. EDEN HAZARD


Eden Hazard, Chelsea, 17/18

This hasn't been a vintage Eden Hazard season but he remains Chelsea's most influential attacker and is the club's top scorer with 16 goals so far this term.

It is incredible to think that the Belgium captain can perform even better than he has, with an additional nine assists - and he still has time to beat his best ever goal total of 19 in a season.

Conte has relied upon Hazard when others have been out of form or unavailable, which has led to him playing in three different positions. He has even been utilised as a false 9 on several occasions, with Alvaro Morata having had a back injury, while also not adapting well to English football.

Hazard is Chelsea's most valuable player and just pips Willian for third spot due to his goal record. He has also done it throughout the season, whereas Willian has only shown his best form since February.


2. CESAR AZPILICUETA


Cesar Azpilicueta Chelsea Norwich City

Cesar Azpilicueta played every minute of last season's title win and overall turned out in 48 games. This season, he remains dependable and may beat his appearance record as he has lined up for Chelsea 46 times already.

Gary Cahill has become the club captain in John Terry's place, but Azpilicueta has often operated as the captain in his absence and showed that he is becoming a great leader.

The Spain international has broadly been steady in defence and his work rate is second to none amongst the first-team group. He has contributed six Premier League assists from centre-back too, which shows his class as a creator.

Like Hazard, Azpilicueta has had his bad moments but he remains an influential member of the team and never shies away from a bad performance. It's time that the unsung hero gets his recognition.


1. N'GOLO KANTE


N'Golo Kante ChelseaGetty Images

While all others in the Chelsea squad have their bad days, N'Golo Kante has remained both consistent and immaculate. Kante is a superstar midfielder and his performances haven't dropped off, despite seeing his team-mates struggle in the year after they won the Premier League.

This season was his first on the Champions League stage and he put in all-star performances against both Atletico Madrid and Barcelona.

Barca-based journalists were stunned by Kante's performance at Camp Nou, with the Frenchman having put in a stellar display at a ground famed for its home side's dominance - all in spite of losing 3-0.

Kante's one-month injury lay-off in October caused chaos for Chelsea, as Tiemoue Bakayoko failed to adapt in his role at the club. That period highlighted what many of us already observed, that Kante is Chelsea's most important player and that his club can't cope without him.

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