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Despite enduring another tough season, one player has stood out amidst Chelsea’s struggles. Who Is Chelsea Player of the Season 2023-24: Power Rankings
Optimistic supporters hoping for a quick turnaround under Mauricio Pochettino were disappointed as the team continued to grapple with issues from the previous season, often facing setbacks.
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Injuries have been a major challenge, with key players missing for significant periods. However, as the 2023-24 season draws to a close, Chelsea’s late surge has reignited hope for a return to European competition.
As the season concludes, GOAL has evaluated every Chelsea player’s performance to determine who deserves the club’s Player of the Season award.
26. Wesley Fofana (N/A) ↔️
Wesley Fofana was the first of many injury setbacks for Chelsea this season. Unfortunately, he missed the entire campaign due to a ruptured ACL, which required reconstructive surgery in the summer. Despite a promising start to his recovery, Fofana’s return to running on grass turned out to be premature.
25. Marcus Bettinelli (N/A) ↔️
Chelsea’s third-choice goalkeeper, Marcus Bettinelli, returned after an undisclosed injury kept him sidelined for a while. However, he did not make any appearances throughout the entire season.
24. Romeo Lavia (N/A) ↔️
Romeo Lavia, Chelsea’s high-profile summer signing for £58 million ($71m), faced setbacks due to injuries before he could even make his debut. He damaged ankle ligaments in training, which delayed his start. Although he returned for a single game in December, he suffered a serious thigh injury shortly after and was eventually ruled out for the remainder of the season.
23. Deivid Washington (N/A) ↔️
Deivid Washington, a young Brazilian forward, was among the many talented young players signed by Chelsea in the past year. While he has been included in several Premier League squads under Pochettino and made his debut against Brentford in October, he has had limited chances in the first team. Instead, he has focused on making an impression with the Under-23s.
22. Reece James (2/10) ⬇️
It’s been another injury-plagued season for Reece James. He suffered a hamstring injury on the opening day of the season after being named club captain in the summer. Although he returned in October, his comeback was short-lived as he experienced a recurrence in December.
James underwent surgery in hopes of putting an end to his injury troubles for good. He made a significant return against Nottingham Forest, providing an assist.
21. Lesley Ugochukwu (3/10) ⬇️
Lesley Ugochukwu, a 19-year-old summer signing, likely didn’t anticipate being involved with the first team so early. However, amid Chelsea’s injury troubles, he was called upon. Unfortunately, since December, he has faced fitness issues of his own, making only one appearance.
20. Christopher Nkunku (3/10) ⬇️
Christopher Nkunku was expected to be a key player in Chelsea’s attack this season. However, a serious knee injury during pre-season dashed those hopes. He finally returned in December and scored on his Premier League debut, but a hamstring injury kept him out for another extended period. Unfortunately, he has struggled to regain his form since then.
19. Carney Chukwuemeka (3/10) ⬇️
Carney Chukwuemeka was one of Chelsea’s standout performers before his promising start to the season was interrupted by a knee injury. He appeared ready to capitalize on the opportunities given to him by his new head coach, showing lively attacking displays despite limited chances last year.
Although the versatile midfielder made a return, he has experienced two setbacks since then and is likely to miss the end of the season.
18. Trevoh Chalobah (4/10) ⬆️
Defender Trevoh Chalobah faced his own injury struggles during the first half of the season and only returned to action against Man City in February. Despite rumors suggesting he was surplus to requirements following a failed summer move to Bayern Munich, Pochettino has shown a keen interest in utilizing him. Chalobah has since become an important presence for Chelsea during their late-season improvement in form.
17. Benoit Badiashile (4/10) ↔️
Center-back Benoit Badiashile missed the entire pre-season due to a serious hamstring injury sustained in May. A minor setback in his recovery further delayed his return. He marked his comeback with a goal against Blackburn in the Carabao Cup, but he subsequently made a couple of high-profile errors and was sidelined again with a groin problem. Despite returning in time for the final stretch of the season, he still occasionally appears erratic in his performances.
16. Ben Chilwell (4/10) ⬇️
Ben Chilwell had a mixed start to the season and struggled with recurring hamstring injuries. He was sidelined until mid-January, despite being newly appointed as vice-captain. Upon his return, Chilwell did not perform at his best, with his passing notably inaccurate. Additionally, a knee issue forced him back onto the treatment table for the final stretch of the season.
15. Robert Sanchez (5/10) ⬇️
Robert Sanchez, not the most exciting goalkeeper signing given he was third in the pecking order at Brighton, performed adequately as Chelsea’s No.1 until he got injured in December. Since then, Djordje Petrovic has filled in well, meaning Sanchez faces a challenge to regain his starting spot if he isn’t sold in the summer.
14. Mykhailo Mudryk (5/10) ⬇️
As many predicted, Pochettino has been cautious with Mudryk this season, but patience seems to be wearing thin with a player who has fallen short of expectations. Although he has reclaimed his starting position towards the end of the 2023-24 season, the winger still lacks confidence and his attacking impact has diminished, aside from a goal at Forest. Many within the club are growing increasingly skeptical about his future success in a Chelsea shirt.
13. Marc Cucurella (5/10) ⬆️
Cucurella wasn’t expected to stay at the club after the summer transfer window, but Chelsea couldn’t offload him during their fire sale. Now, he’s fighting to secure his future at the club. Initially, injuries and suspensions gave him a chance, and he impressed with his combative performances. However, he was struck by Chelsea’s injury curse in December and had ankle surgery.
He has been fit for the latter part of the season and has surprisingly become an important player as an inverted full-back.
12. Levi Colwill (5/10) ⬇️
Levi Colwill hasn’t quite met the high expectations after his successful loan spell at Brighton. Strangely, Pochettino often used him as a traditional left-back instead of his natural center-back role. When restored to his preferred position alongside Axel Disasi, Colwill appeared more comfortable. Unfortunately, a toe injury disrupted the latter part of his season.
11. Djordje Petrovic (6/10) ⬇️
Djordje Petrovic, signed from New England Revolution in MLS during Chelsea’s goalkeeping overhaul in the summer, unexpectedly got a chance to showcase his skills. With Sanchez sidelined due to injury, Petrovic filled in and has been generally solid, although he has let in some saveable shots at times. It remains to be seen if he will be the No.1 goalkeeper next season.
10. Moises Caicedo (6/10) ⬆️
After a rough beginning, Moises Caicedo, the £115m ($141m) signing, has gradually adapted to life at Chelsea. He struggled with match fitness initially due to a disrupted summer but has shown glimpses of the form that convinced Chelsea to make such a significant investment as the season nears its end. The Ecuadorian midfielder has been quietly getting on with his work, although he still has a long way to go to fully justify his hefty price tag.
9. Raheem Sterling (6/10) ⬇️
Raheem Sterling, while still facing challenges in winning over the Chelsea fans, was one of the club’s most reliable and impressive players in the first part of the 2023-24 season. He contributed to 16 goals, evenly split between scoring and assisting.
Though he can be inconsistent at times, Sterling has delivered in important moments for Chelsea this season, including a notable goal against his former club, Man City. However, his form and fitness have faltered towards the end of the season.
8. Thiago Silva (6/10) ⬆️
Veteran center-back Thiago Silva would typically rank much higher in these rankings, but he has struggled somewhat in another challenging season. He has occasionally looked frustrated and exposed in Pochettino’s fluid back-four formation.
However, he has shown glimpses of his old form towards the end of the season. Nevertheless, Chelsea has confirmed that he will leave the club at the end of the season, with his boyhood club Fluminense also confirming his return in the summer.
7. Noni Madueke (6/10) ⬆️
Noni Madueke had a strong end to the 2022-23 season, but it took him some time to earn Pochettino’s trust this season. An early incident, where he was filmed on a night out while injured, may have hindered his chances. However, he has become more prominent in recent times.
He has finished the season strongly, emerging as a key player and making several vital contributions during Chelsea’s late-season resurgence.
6. Axel Disasi (6/10) ⬇️
Axel Disasi, signed following Fofana’s injury, had a steady start at Stamford Bridge, including scoring a crucial equalizing goal against Liverpool on his debut. While he’s not yet the complete package and can sometimes make impulsive decisions, he’s showing maturity beyond his years and appears to have settled well in the heart of Chelsea’s defense.
5. Nicolas Jackson (6.5/10) ⬆️
Football is a game of small differences, and if things had gone a bit differently, Nicolas Jackson could have been at the very top of these rankings. The Senegalese striker is a bit of a mystery, highlighted by scoring a hat-trick against Tottenham but still not meeting his expected goals back in November. He’s a divisive player, but he keeps showing up in crucial moments. Plus, having more than 20 goal contributions in his first season in England is quite impressive.
4. Enzo Fernandez (6.5/10) ⬇️
Enzo Fernandez, the £106m ($129m) signing, consistently performs at a high level, but he sometimes struggles to assert his dominance in matches. He would have wanted to contribute more in the final third, as he only has three assists to his name, but he has managed to score seven goals this season.
There’s a feeling that there’s still more to come from the Argentine, but his campaign has been affected by surgery on a hernia in his groin, which he had been carrying for six months. This partly explains a dip in his form towards the end of the season.
3. Malo Gusto (7/10) ⬆️
Malo Gusto had a strong start, filling in admirably for the injured James. However, his progress was hindered by a red card for a reckless challenge towards the end of September.
At just 20 years old, it’s expected that there are areas of his game that need improvement, including occasional rash decisions. However, he excels in one-on-one defending and became an important attacking asset in James’ absence, providing eight assists. His potential is immense.
2. Conor Gallagher (7/10) ⬆️
Despite widespread reports of Gallagher’s potential departure in the summer, Pochettino has heavily relied on him and even entrusted him with the captain’s armband on several occasions.
Although he had a slow start, the determined midfielder has fought his way to become a crucial player in Pochettino’s system, showing improvement week by week. The notion of Chelsea considering selling him again in the upcoming transfer window seems increasingly unlikely.
1. Cole Palmer (9/10) ↔️
Chelsea owes a lot to Palmer this season! Despite the initial lack of excitement around his arrival in the summer, he has become indispensable for the team.
His incredibly consistent performance has resulted in an impressive total of 38 goals and assists across all competitions, in addition to the two goals he scored for City before joining Chelsea. Palmer’s skillful attacking play has been crucial for Chelsea’s late surge for European football, including an impressive run of 10 goals in five league games at one point. It’s no surprise that he’s a strong contender for Gareth Southgate’s England squad for Euro 2024 this summer.
