LOOKING BACK: NO 10

Posted on: Sun 24 Jun 2012 To say it was a memorable debut season at Stamford Bridge for the diminutive playmaker would be something of an understatement. Juan Mata announced his arrival at the club by scoring with almost his first touch after coming on as a substitute in the 3-1 win against Norwich City, and from that point onwards, he never looked back. Under the stewardship of Andre Villas-Boas, Mata started his Blues career playing out wide on the left, although he was moved into a more central role at times, more often than not following substitutions. However, as a wide man, when the side were struggling for confidence in the middle of the campaign, he was all too often a peripheral figure, sparking the decision, ultimately taken by Roberto Di Matteo, to play him in a more central role on a more permanent basis.. Twelve goals in his first campaign at the club was a credible return, with a stunning volley in the 3-3 draw against Manchester United undoubtedly the standout strike. Bought more as a creator of chances than a converter, however, Mata certainly met his remit, with 26 assists to his name and a number of big performances when it really mattered. Instrumental in the 5-1 FA Cup semi-final victory against Tottenham Hotspur, when he scored one -albeit controversially - and made two, he was a central figure once more during the final against Liverpool when he supplied the pass from which Ramires scored the opening goal of the game. His performances had done enough to earn the Spaniard the club's Player of the Year award, and while he missed our first penalty in the shoot-out against Bayern Munich, it would take far more than that to put a dampener on his first season in England. Appearances: 47+7 Goals: 12 Assists: 26 Minutes on pitch: 4,276

LOOKING BACK: NO 9

Posted on: Sat 23 Jun 2012 Highs, lows and pretty much everything in between, Fernando Torres's season seemingly had it all. Having impressed during the opening day draw at Stoke City, Andre Villas-Boas persisted with the Spaniard as the focal point of a front-three alongside Juan Mata and Daniel Sturridge. He scored with an exquisite flick of the right boot away at Manchester United, before missing a fantastic opportunity to double his tally, and while he netted the opener a week later at home to Swansea, he picked up a three-game ban for what was a needless red card soon after. A Champions League brace in the 5-0 win over Genk soon followed, but with Didier Drogba now playing as the lone frontman, Torres's opportunities were somewhat limited, and more often than not he had to be content with coming off the bench. The 5-2 FA Cup quarter-final win against Leicester City saw Torres rediscover his goalscoring touch when he found the net twice in quick succession midway through the second half, while an impressive strike late on away at Aston Villa appeared to strengthen the widely held opinion that he was back to his best. After teeing up Salomon Kalou to score in Benfica, Torres himself was the hero in the Champions League semi-final as he scored the equaliser in our 2-2 draw in Barcelona, while he almost single-handedly secured the three points when Queens Park Rangers made the short trip across west London, scoring a memorable hat-trick in the 6-1 mauling of Mark Hughes's side. Drogba was chosen to lead the line in the Champions League Final in Munich, but Torres came on as a late substitute, and after stating his intentions to win trophies when he made the switch from Liverpool, he ended his first full season at the club with two medals. Appearances: 32+17 Goals: 11 Assists: 18 Minutes on pitch: 3,241

LOOKING BACK: NO 8

Posted on: Fri 22 Jun 2012 After enduring a frustrating first half of the season, Frank Lampard, as he's done so often in the past, rose to the fore when his team needed him most of all. Lampard started the first four league games of the season under the new man at the helm, Andre Villas-Boas, but after being substituted at half-time in the 3-1 defeat at Manchester United and subsequently dropped to the bench for the home game against Swansea, he returned to the starting line-up at Bolton and scored a hat-trick in a 5-1 win. He came off the bench to score the winner from the penalty spot against Manchester City, while also netting the decisive goal at Wolverhampton Wanderers early in the new year, but with the Portuguese manager using him only sparingly, he struggled to produce his best football, and after being left out for the Champions League defeat in Napoli his long-term future at the club became a source of constant speculation. After taking over at the beginning of March, Roberto Di Matteo quickly restored Lampard to the side, recognising the value of his experience and abilities at a time when the team were struggling for confidence. Regular football brought the best out of the midfielder and, as well as scoring a crucial penalty in the return leg against the Italian side, he scored a stunning free-kick in the 5-1 FA Cup win against Tottenham. Rather than playing in his more familiar role as an attacking midfielder, Di Matteo's favoured 4-2-3-1 formation saw Lampard adopt one of the deeper positions alongside John Mikel Obi, although he was given license to support the frontmen when necessary. It wasn't just scoring goals, however, where Lampard was proving his importance to the side. After starting the move which led to Didier Drogba's strike in the first leg against Barcelona, he also teed up Ramires for that stunning goal in the Camp Nou, before once again linking up with Drogba as the Ivorian scored the winner in the FA Cup Final. With John Terry suspended for the Champions League Final in Munich, Lampard skippered the side, and after turning in a marvellous display and scoring a penalty in the shoot-out, he held the trophy aloft at the final whistle to cap a truly remarkable season. Appearances: 38+11 Goals: 16 Assists: 11 Minutes on pitch: 3,745

LOOKING BACK: NO 7

Posted on: Thu 21 Jun 2012 After finishing his debut season in England strongly following a difficult first few months, Ramires continued where he left off during the 2011/12 campaign, becoming a key member of the squad and scoring vital goals along the way. The first half of the season saw the Brazilian used on the right of a midfield trio, and he netted a brace in the 4-1 win against Swansea, while also registering an important strike in the must-win Champions League game against Valencia at Stamford Bridge. After scoring in the FA Cup third round win against Portsmouth, he sustained a knee injury away at Queens Park Rangers in the following round. However, with supporters initially fearing the worst, Ramires returned to the side after missing only three matches. Andre Villas-Boas's departure, coupled with Roberto Di Matteo's preference for a 4-2-3-1 formation saw Ramires used more often on the right of the three supporting attackers in the second half of the season, and it was a move which was rewarded handsomely. After scoring the crucial third goal in the FA Cup semi-final win against Tottenham Hotspur at Wembley, three days later he set up Didier Drogba for the only goal of the home game against Barcelona, while in the return against the Spanish side, he scored a sublime chip to get us back in the game after Pep Guardiola's side had raced into a 2-0 lead. The strike, quite rightly, won the club's Goal of the Season award, and it was made all the more impressive by the fact Ramires had been booked moments earlier, ruling him out of the final in Munich. His impressive season, however, was still far from over, and after scoring in the semi-final, he bagged the opener in the FA Cup Final against Liverpool when he raced on to a Juan Mata pass before finishing well. Ramires was also awarded the Players' Player of the Season award. Appearances: 44+3 Goals: 12 Assists: 9 Minutes on pitch: 4,081

CHELSEA 2012: FRANK LAMPARD

With a gold medal of his own to cherish, Frank Lampard believes the 2012 Olympics can provide a huge boost to London this summer. Yesterday's birthday boy answers the official Chelsea website's questionnaire on the Games... Frank, what are your thoughts on football in the Olympics? It's very new to us in Great Britain. The South Americans and Africans have been much more brought up on it than we have, but that shouldn't take away from us trying our best to do well in the tournament. I am sure the players involved in it will do, but the World Cup is the very best in football. What are your earliest Olympic memories? Can I say the Winter Olympics? That would be Eddie the Eagle. I also remember the Seoul Olympics in 1988, getting up early and watching it before school, because of the time difference. What will you be looking out for in 2012? Obviously I'm looking forward to the British athletes doing well, the 100 metres final is an obvious one but I am looking forward to the whole spectacle, and if I can manage to get some tickets I would love to be able to take my kids to see some of it. Lord Coe has done an amazing job to get it running so smoothly and I think he deserves more credit for it. Who is your favourite Olympian of all time? As I know him I had better say Seb Coe. The era of him and Steve Ovett and Steve Cram was a great time for British athletics.

DROGBA CONFIRMS CHINA MOVE

Didier Drogba, whom it was announced last month would be leaving Chelsea when his contract expires at the end of June, has today (Wednesday) named Shanghai Shenhua as his next club. He will be reunited with Nicolas Anelka who left Chelsea for Shanghai Shenhua in January. 'Today I can confirm that I have signed with Chinese club Shanghai Shenhua FC. I will join up with the team next month,' Drogba announced. 'I have considered all offers I have received in the past few weeks, but feel that Shanghai Shenhua FC is the right move for me at this time. I am looking forward to a new challenge, to experiencing a new culture, and excited about the new developments in the Chinese Super League.' Didier leaves Chelsea having scored 157 goals in 341 appearances. He is the club's fourth all-time highest scorer and memorably brought the curtain down on his eight years with us by converting the decisive penalty in the shoot-out at the end of the Champions League Final.