Here we have ranked Chelsea’s top 10 greatest strikers of all time, from worst to best.
Some were out-and-out goalscorers, whose only job was to find the back of the net, while others were playmakers, who looked to create chances for their teammates.
They all have one thing in common, though: the West London club would have been much worse off without them.
The Chelsea Chronicle rank the Blues’ top 10 strikers of all time, in descending order, taking stats, silverware, longevity, and more into account.
10. Eidur Gudjohnsen (2000-06)
Having impressed in two seasons at Bolton Wanderers, Chelsea signed Eidur Gudjohnsen for a transfer fee of £4.5 million in 2000.
The Icelandic striker proved his worth by hitting double figures for goals in four of his six Premier League campaigns at Stamford Bridge, while lifting the title twice under Jose Mourinho.
Yet, Gudjohnsen was also a playmaker, every bit as good at fashioning out chances for his teammates as finishing them himself.
9. Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink (2000-04)
Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink is one of the most underrated strikers in Premier League history, having scored 23 goals in consecutive league campaigns (2000-02).
He scored 87 times in 177 games in all competitions for Chelsea, across four seasons, before signing for Middlesbrough in 2004.
Unfortunately for the Dutchman, however, the Blues lifted the Premier League trophy in the following two years after he left the club.
8. Diego Costa (2014-17)
Diego Costa could have cracked the top five of this list had he spent longer than three seasons at the Stamford Bridge.
The Spaniard fired the West London club to the Premier League title in both the 2014-15 and 2016-17 seasons, scoring 20 goals in each campaign.
His record of 0.49 goals per match is up there with the best in Chelsea’s history, and his physicality and mentality embodied the Blues’ then-ruthless team.
7. Kerry Dixon (1983-92)
Kerry Dixon spent nine seasons at Stamford Bridge and scored a remarkable 193 times in 420 appearances.
However, his two most prolific league campaigns came in the Second Division, in 1983-84 (28 goals) and 1988-89 (25 goals).
The 62-year-old led the Blues to promotion in both seasons, but we must take into consideration that he enjoyed much of his success against lesser opposition.
6. Roy Bentley (1948-56)
Roy Bentley captained Chelsea to their only First Divison title before Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich turned the club’s fortunes around in 2003.
Indeed, he scored 22 goals in 41 league games in the 1954-55 season as the Blues held off Wolverhampton Wanderers, Portsmouth and Sunderland.
Bentley netted 152 times in 367 appearances in all competitions for Chelsea, making him their fifth-highest goalscorer of all time.
5. Jimmy Greaves (1957-61)
Jimmy Greaves is arguably England’s greatest striker of all time, having scored 44 goals in 51 international games, and he was equally as impressive in his four-year stint at Stamford Bridge.
The striker found the back of the net 132 times in 169 games for Chelsea, outscoring everyone in the First Division in both the 1958-59 and 1960-61 seasons.
He may be better known for his exploits with London rivals Tottenham, but Greaves is certainly up there with the very best strikers in the Blues’ history.
4. Gianfranco Zola (1996-2003)
Gianfranco Zola’s goal record does not compare to Chelsea’s other top strikers, however, like another of the club’s all-time great players (Eden Hazard), stats do not tell his story.
See, Zola arrived at Stamford Bridge, alongside Gianluca Vialli, at a time when Chelsea were not considered one of the powerhouses of English football.
The Italian was largely responsible for transforming the Blues’ reputation, helping them to domestic and European silverware, while also being one of the most gifted and entertaining players to have graced the Premier League.
3. Bobby Tambling (1959-70)
Until Frank Lampard broke his record in 2013, Bobby Tambling was Chelsea’s all-time top goalscorer, with 202 goals for the West London side.
Tambling only spent one of his 12 seasons with the Blues outside of the First Division and, in that, he scored 35 times to secure promotion back to the top flight.
The forward’s only trophy with Chelsea was the 1965 League Cup, but his outstanding goal record proves that was through no fault of his own.
2. Peter Osgood (1964-74, 78-79)
Peter Osgood was nicknamed ‘The King of Stamford Bridge’ by Chelsea fans during his decade-long first spell at the club.
The striker, whose personality was as revered as his ability on the pitch, led the Blues to FA Cup success in the famous 1970 clash with Leeds United. He also scored the winning goal as the Blues beat Real Madrid in the 1971 European Cup Winners’ Cup.
A statue dedicated to Osgood can be found outside Stamford Bridge, while the club legend’s ashes were buried under the penalty spot towards at the Shed End.
1. Didier Drogba (2004-12, 14-15)
The definition of a ‘big game player’. Very few footballers have risen to the occasion as well as Didier Drogba in his time at Chelsea.
The Ivorian scored nine goals in 10 finals for the Blues and almost single-handedly dragged them to their 2012 Champions League final victory over Bayern Munich.
Drogba’s season-by-season goal returns were not extraordinary, though it is often forgotten that he rarely took penalties. Plus, his physicality allowed him to bully defenders and contribute to winning without getting on the scoresheet.
The four-time Premier League, four-time FA Cup and three-time League Cup winner has to go down as Chelsea’s greatest striker of all time.
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