Chelsea is one of the richest and most successful clubs in Europe. Since the turn of the century, the Blues have almost always been in the mix for silverware. They have won an admirable 21 trophies in the 21st century, including five Premier League titles, two UEFA Champions League trophies, and two UEFA Europa Leagues. The Pensioners have gotten to where they are by adopting a no-nonsense attitude. They do not tolerate mediocrity, meaning it is imperative for players to hit the ground running for Stamford Bridge to prolong their stay.
In today’s list, we will look at five attackers who understood the assignment right away. Continue reading to check out the top five players, including current poster boy Cole Palmer, who reached 30 Premier League goals for Chelsea in record time. Let’s begin!
#5 Tore Andre Flo – 82 Games
Former Norway international Tore Andre Flo is in fifth place, having scored 30 Premier League goals for Chelsea in 82 games. The ex-center-forward hung up his boots in 2012, with his spending his last season at Sogndal.
Andre Flo joined Chelsea from Brann in January 1998. Before switching to Rangers two years later, he played 163 games in all competitions, scoring 50 goals and providing nine assists. He scored 34 Premier League goals in total, in 112 appearances. During his stay, he won one UEFA Cup Winners’ Cup, one EFL Cup, one FA Cup, one FA Community Shield, and one UEFA Super Cup.
#4 Didier Drogba – 67 Games
Synonymous with power and precision, Didier Drogba was the poster boy of Chelsea FC between 2004 and 2012. He tormented Premier League defenders with his burst of pace, physical strength, and shooting prowess from the off, netting 30 goals in the English top flight in 67 matches.
Drogba ruled West London for eight years, popping up with numerous match-winning goals and dropping that legendary knee slide time and again. The Ivory Coast international left Chelsea for SH Shenhua in July 2012 but returned as a free agent for a second spell in 2014. He spent one year in England before jetting off to Montreal. Across two spells, Drogba played 381 games in all competitions, scoring 164 goals and providing 81 assists. An impressive 104 of his goals came in the Premier League in 254 games.
The two-time Golden Boot winner won it all at Chelsea, including four Premier League titles, one UEFA Champions League, and four FA Cups.
#3 Diego Costa – 48 Games
Scoring 30 Premier League goals in just 48 games, Diego Costa has clinched the third place in the rankings. The former Spanish international joined the Blues in a €38 million ($40.2 million) deal in July 2014 and returned to Atletico in January 2018, earning the Londoners €60 million ($63.4 million).
Costa, known for his physicality and fighting spirit — in the literal sense of the term —, played 120 games for Chelsea, scoring 59 goals and claiming 21 assists. Costa found the back of the net 52 times in 89 games in the Premier League.
The 36-year-old had a fruitful three-and-a-half-year run at Stamford Bridge. He won two Premier League titles and one EFL Cup with the Pensioners.
#2 Cole Palmer – 46 Games
Arguably the most prolific English player in the Premier League, Cole Palmer has been in breathtaking form for Chelsea since joining from Manchester City in a mega €47 million ($49.7 million) move in September 2023. The 22-year-old has scored 31 goals and provided 17 assists in 47 games in the Premier League. He took 46 games to reach the 30-goal milestone.
Palmer, who has already scored three Premier League hat-tricks at Chelsea, has played 61 games for the club in all competitions. He has found the net 34 times and claimed 21 assists. Last season’s Premier League Young Player of the Season has recorded nine goals and provided six assists in 14 Premier League games this season. Courtesy of his heroics, Enzo Maresca’s side sits in second place in the top-flight standings.
#1 Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink – 41 Games
Cole Palmer came agonizingly close, but Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink remains the quickest to score 30 Premier League goals for Chelsea, with the former Dutch striker reaching the milestone in only 41 games. Like Diego Costa, Hasselbaink joined Chelsea from Atletico Madrid. He spent four seasons at the club between 2000 and 2004 before moving to Middlesbrough.
Hasselbaink, who retired at Cardiff City in 2008, played 177 games for Chelsea in all competitions, scoring 87 goals and providing 36 assists. He scored 69 goals in 136 games in the Premier League.
The two-time Premier League Golden Boot winner unfortunately did not win any major honor with Chelsea, with the FA Community Shield being the only trophy he lifted during his time at Stamford Bridge.
