Five defenders have stood out for their high volume of appearances for Chelsea’s defence during the last two Premier League seasons. Ghanaian punters commonly stake on top bookmaker sites like Betway –as reviewed on https://www.telecomasia.net/gh/sports-betting/reviews/betway/login/-– for these defenders to keep clean sheets when playing for Chelsea.
The top four Chelsea defenders by the number of appearances in the 2022/2023 and 2021/2022 Premier League campaigns (as of the time of writing this article) are as follows:
Thiago Silva – 52 appearances
Since joining the blues on a free transfer after leaving Paris Saint-Germain in 2020, Thiago Silva has been a stellar presence in Chelsea’s defence.
Being one of the most recognized figures amongst the defenders of the 2020/21 UCL winners, he has continued to make an impact on the team.
In the current and last season of the Premier League, Thiago Silva has appeared on the pitch for the blue side 52 times, out of which he started 47.
Thiago Silva is well known for his aerial prowess. In the 2021/2022 season, he found the back of the net three times, all of which came from headed goals.
Although he hasn’t recorded a goal in the current season, he has 2 assists and has kept a total of 16 clean sheets across both seasons.
César Azpilicueta – 46 appearances
César Azpilicueta is another solid brick in Chelsea’s backline, and he has been for over a decade. AZPI, as he is often called by fans and lovers of the club, has made a total of 46 appearances for Chelsea in both the 2022/2023 and 2021/2022 Premier League seasons.
He started 35 out of the 46 matches. While Azpilicueta is much of a goal-scoring defender, having found the net only once in the last two seasons, he is quite instrumental in team play and stopping opposition attacks.
He has recorded 2 assists, created 5 big chances, intercepted opposition play 37 times, and kept 8 clean sheets in the last two Premier League seasons. Azpilicueta, known for his leadership qualities, is one of Chelsea’s most successful players in the club’s history.
It is worth noting that the Spaniard has been the team’s captain since 2019 and has led Chelsea to three trophies: the Europa trophy, the Champions League trophy, and the FIFA Club World Cup trophy.
Reece James – 36 appearances
English right-back Reece James has established himself as a regular for Chelsea during the past two Premier League campaigns.
With a total of 36 appearances for Chelsea in the last two seasons, despite injury problems, James has only continued to impress and win the hearts of fans.
Asides from his defensive solidity, James brings so much more to the table for the blues with his attacking prowess and crossing ability. With this, he has registered a total of 6 goals, 10 assists, and 11 big chances created in the 2022/2023 and 2021/2022 Premier League seasons.
Antonio Rüdiger – 34 appearances
Although Rüdiger’s journey with Chelsea came to an end after the 2021/2022 Premier League season, with the German completing a move to Spanish giants, Real Madrid.
Of course, it is undeniable that he was the force and the fighter of Chelsea’s backline in the 2021/2022 season and seasons prior to that.
Known for his physicality and tough tackling, Rüdiger was instrumental to Chelsea’s defence, thanks to his notoriety for intimidating strikers/attackers and nudging them off the ball to stop attacks.
His aerial ability also can’t go unnoticed, having made a total of 44 headed clearances and scored a headed goal in the 2021/2022 season. He made 34 appearances in the Premier League during his final season with Chelsea.
In conclusion, The success of the Chelsea squad has been greatly aided by these five defenders, who have been key to the team throughout the last two seasons. They have been instrumental in fortifying the defence and assisting the club in recording numerous clean sheets. Their contributions have been crucial.