When Russian oligarch, Roman Abramovich, completed his takeover of the West London side in the summer of 2003, an array of attacking talent swept over Stamford Bridge and throughout the last 12 years, Chelsea have scored a whole of host of spectacular and crucial goals. Ranging from bullet headers to long-range strikes, team efforts to dazzling solo runs, volleys to overhead kicks, you name it - the boys in blue have scored it.
So to celebrate, we present a 10-part article, exclusively on VAVEL UK, on the Top 100 goals P.A. (post-Abramovich). Top goals does not always mean super strikes however, there are some pretty significant finishes on this list too, even if they did not set the world alight - e.g. Lampard against Manchester United in the 2008 Champions League final.
So.. enjoy.
100. Raul MEIRELES - Birmingham City, FA CUP, 2012
Kicking off our list is one-season-wonder, Raul Meireles. Despite his short tenure at the club, he still helped Chelsea achieve their famous Champions League victory in 2012, albeit missing the final through suspension. The Portuguese scored an absolutely immense solo effort in the quarter-final, but we'll get to that later.
He also played a big part in the Blues winning the FA Cup for the seventh time in their history. In this game, despite it being a fifth-round replay on a cold night in the midlands, it proved to be one of the pivotal game in Chelsea's disastrous start to the season. Under new management, AKA a certain Roberto Di Matteo, Chelsea eased to a 2-0 victory, courtesy of Juan Mata and this thunderbolt of a strike from the edge of the box by Meireles. The way he hits it so that it keeps on rising is a talent to be admired.
99. Victor MOSES - Middlesbrough, FA CUP, 2013
Rafa Benitez's appointment as interim manager at Stamford Bridge in late 2012 wasn't a exactly a match made in heaven, given the previous history between the Spaniard and the Chelsea faithful - but after winning the 2013 Europa League, I think it's fair to say that he'd won over a whole host of his earlier critics. Add that to an action packed journey to the FA Cup semi-finals and all in all, it wasn't a bad season by the club's standards.
A particular highlight was the 2-0 defeat of Middlesbrough in the fifth round and with it, this delightful team goal, made by Eden Hazard and finished off easily by Nigerian striker, Victor Moses. An earlier Ramires strike helped Chelsea secure a quarter-final tie with Manchester United.
98. John Obi MIKEL - Macclesfield, FA CUP, 2007
The words 'John Obi Mikel' and 'Goal' have only been put together five times in the nine years that he's been at Chelsea so far. The combination of the words 'John Obi Mikel' and 'absolute screamer' is even less frequent, but thanks to lowly Macclesfield Town, the combination exists.
That's right, when the then-League Two side visited Stamford Bridge for a dream third-round FA Cup tie back in 2007, Mikel scored the best goal he'll ever score, smashing the fifth of a 6-1 drubbing on Chelsea's part into the roof of the net, to send the blues faithful into overdrive.
Mikel to score the title-clinching goal this season, anyone?
97. DECO - Portsmouth, Premier League, 2008
Deco. Barcelona legend. Scored goals against every big team possible throughout a trophy-laden career. So when he stepped out onto the Stamford Bridge for his highly-anticipated Chelsea debut under new boss, Phil Scolari, big things were expected of him and he delivered that day, scoring a stunning curling effort to cap off a fine 4-0 opening-day thrashing of Portsmouth. He took a one-two from Florent Malouda in his stride, before shooting with the outside of his foot towards and near post and although David James got a hand to it, it just wasn't enough.
Unfortunately, the Portuguese midfielder's tenure in England didn't go the way anybody had planned and he left at the end of the next season, with only four goals to his name. Spectacularly though, this is the first of three of those four goals to feature in this list. Stay tuned, folks.
96. Jimmy Floyd HASSELBAINK - Liverpool, Premier League, 2003
Every Chelsea fan loves a win at Anfield. Every Chelsea fan loves to see Liverpool fans in meltdown. So when Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink scored a late winner on Merseyside in Roman Abramovich's first ever game as owner of the club, this was a double whammy of the highest standard for Blues fans. Taking on a pass from the right wing, the hero in white chested the ball down, wrong-footed his marker, before finishing in fine style from the edge of the box, while surrounded by red shirts.
The goal that kicked off the Golden Era of Chelsea Football Club. Say no more.
95. John TERRY - Tottenham, Capital One Cup, 2015
How many times over the years have the Blues continued to rely on 'the old guard' to step up in the big games and do the business? I'm talking to you, Drogba and Lampard (who between them have 20 goals on this list). But it's not often that captain, John Terry nets a crucial goal in a cup final for Chelsea. Not until 2015, anyway.
When Chelsea competed in their first final since the return of Jose Mourinho, only an in-form Tottenham Hotspur stood in in the way of a fourth league cup success in the club's history. Going into half-time, although the scores were level, Spurs had dominated affairs yet somehow hadn't scored - and what worse team to waste your opportunities against than Chelsea? Indeed, Mauricio Pochettino's side were made to rue their missed chances right on the stroke of the interval, when Willian's free-kick was poked home by Terry via the thigh of supposed-danger man, Harry Kane's thigh. Not a classic finish, but who cares? Jose Mourinho certainly didn't as his second dynasty finally began, with a 2-0 win at Wembley. Happy days.
94. Didier DROGBA - Valencia, UEFA Champions League, 2011
It was a season made - no, destined - to be Didier Drogba's. The Ivorian capped off his eighth and final year (or, so we thought) at the club with the most important header-kick combination in the club's history - but more of that later. Reverse back to December, when Andre Villas-Boas' struggling Chelsea welcomed Valencia to the Bridge, they knew that anything other than a win would see them crash out of the Champions League group stage in shame.
So naturally, Drogba stepped up, scored a brace either side of a Ramires strike and the hosts won the game and the group. The first goal in particular was the pick of the bunch though, with the big Ivorian taking on a Juan Mata pass on nine minutes, performing a terrific fake shot, before hitting the ball across goal with his left foot to send the Shed End into eruption.
Cue the god-like celebration from the coolest man on the pitch that night.
93. Fernando TORRES - Manchester City, Premier League, 2013
No-one can argue that Fernando Torres' three-year stint in West London was an unmitigated disaster, considering the size of his price tag - though he did score a few huge goals for the Blues. His biggest goal will come a lot higher up the list, but this one just has to be on here, purely because of the circumstances. El Nino had had one of his best games since joining the club, assisting Andre Schurrle for the opener, but he couldn't seem to find the net himself, hitting the bar with a sensational strike in the first half.
So when the scores were level on half-time, Chelsea's title rivals looked to be taking a well-deserved point back to Manchester, until Willian played an overhit long ball straight to Matija Nastasic - and all the Serb had to do was head the ball softly into Joe Hart's hands from a couple of metres away. Unfortunately for City, Hart had other ideas, coming out to clear the ball at the same time. The result was train-wreck defending, as Nastasic headed a perfect through ball over the onrushing Hart's head and into the path of, whom else - Fernando Torres. And the rest is history.
92. David LUIZ - FC Basel, UEFA Europa League, 2013
Has there ever been more of an intriguing, unique character to grace Stamford Bridge than that of David Luiz? You'd have to go back to the 1930s, with charismatic Scot, Hughie Gallacher. The maverick Brazilian was probably the only defender whose strong point in football wasn't defending. Too many times was Stamford Bridge's very own Sideshow Bob exposed defensively in big games, but what made him so appealing was his ability going forward. Very few defenders could hit a free-kick or a long shot like David Luiz, as you'll discover later on throughout this list.
So in this Europa League Semi-Final first leg, when Chelsea needed a hero in injury time, they would find one in the form of a shaggy-haired South American. Luiz hit the free-kick low and hard, with the inside of his foot. It squeezed underneath the Basel wall and beyond the unexpecting 'keeper's reach for 2-1.
91. Demba BA - Paris Saint-Germain, UEFA Champions League, 2014
Oh, what a night. How many magical Champions League nights have we seen at Stamford Bridge, where a crucial goal goes in and the Shed or the Matthew Harding just erupts? An awful lot, that's the answer and most of them are on this list. This is the latest one. Demba Ba, like Torres didn't enjoy a hugely successful period at the club, often playing third choice behind Torres and Samuel Eto'o, but my word, did he score some big goals - four of which you'll see later.
After going down 3-1 at the Parc des Princes in the Quarter-Final first leg, Chelsea's chances of progression were slim going into the London fixture. Things looked even bleaker just 15 minutes into it, star player Eden Hazard limped off with an ankle injury. His replacement however, Andre Schurrle, broke the deadlock inside half an hour and all of a sudden, Jose Mourinho's side needed a single goal to qualify. Chance after chance went by, as the Blues hit the bar twice in a minute, through Schurrle and Oscar and it began to look increasingly like it wouldn't be their night - until up stepped Demba Ba. Cesar Azpilicueta hit a deflected shot into the path of the Senegalese striker, who reacted first and poked the ball beyond the outstretched Salvatore Sirigu to send West London into overdrive.
Stay tuned for Part 2 (90-81) next Saturday.