Player ratings 2012/13

 

This season was definitely one of the most turbulent ever seen at SW6.

Sixty-nine games, eight competitions, two managers, superstar signings, memorable wins, shock defeats, highly significant poor refereeing decisions, a season-long contract drama with a club legend, and scandal. This season had it all.

There was never a dull moment for a Chelsea fan. Despite all the drama, the club managed to qualify, albeit not comfortably, for the Champions League and notched up a second successive European trophy with their success in the Europa League.

Amongst the players, there were plenty of heroes, but also plenty of players who didn't quite perform up to their full potential.

Here we take a look at the entire squad's performance over the course of the campaign:

1. Petr Cech: 8.5

The Czech stopper was at his reliable best throughout the season and rarely put a foot wrong. The 31-year-old managed to rack up 20 clean sheets in 63 games and made some brilliant saves in the campaign, the most memorable being from Javier Hernandez's point-blank header in the FA Cup.

2. Branislav Ivanovic: 8

Ivanovic had an excellent season for Chelsea. The centre-back was solid at the back and also a big goal-threat, amassing eight goals in all competitions, including the last-minute winner in the Europa League final. The odd mistake aside, the big Serb was a rock at the back for the Blues.

3. Ashley Cole: 7.5

Though still one of the best left-backs in the world, Cole didn't have an outstanding season by his standards. Despite his five assists this year, he wasn't as much of a threat going forward as he has been in earlier seasons. Defensively, though, Cole was still one of the most reliable players in the league, especially in one-on-one situations

4. David Luiz: 8.5

They may not like him, but the Chelsea fans must be grateful to Rafael Benitez for finally taming David Luiz. Shifting into a holding-midfield position in the second half of the season brought out the best in Luiz, especially when he was paired with Frank Lampard. He was able to utilise both his attacking and defensive abilities to the full and he showed his eye for the spectacular with some mind-blowing goals against Fulham and Basel.

6. Oriol Romeu: 5.5

Romeu missed almost the entire season through injury but when he did play, his performances were unspectacular. He is yet to show why Barcelona valued him so highly but he still has age on his side and should blossom into a decent holding midfielder once he gets more acquainted with the English game

7. Ramires: 8

The tough-tackling Brazilian had yet another impressive season in the Chelsea midfield. His boundless energy and lung-busting runs were vital to the Blues in their marathon campaign. He popped up with important goals again this year including three against Manchester United.

8. Frank Lampard: 9

The Chelsea vice-captain continued to roll back the years as he spent the entire season in pursuit of Bobby Tambling's record. In a season that looked like it would be his last at Chelsea, Lampard put injuries behind him to manage an astounding 17 goals from just 38 starts from a holding midfield role. For the second season running, he captained the Blues to a European trophy. He became Chelsea's all-time highest scorer in a match-winning performance against Aston Villa and truly deserved his contract extension.

9. Fernando Torres: 7

This season Torres finally started to show a few glimpses of his former self, but his strike-rate still doesn't justify his price tag. He was Chelsea's leading scorer this season but most of his goals came against lowly opposition. That being said, without him, Chelsea would have been nowhere in the Europa League. Torres' main problem is that he tends to disappear in games and unlike Demba Ba, he doesn't bully defenders. If he improves his work-rate, El Nino could still be fondly remembered by Chelsea fans.

10. Juan Mata: 10

There are few words that can truly describe Juan Mata. The little Spaniard has been at the heart of all things good for Chelsea, carrying on where he left off last season, and in some style too. 20 goals and 35 assists in all competitions pretty much sum up how important he has been to the club this season. His touch, vision, dribbling pin-point passing and eye for goal make him a fearsome opponent for any team. Few could stop him this season and he fully deserved his second consecutive Chelsea Player of the Year award as well as his nominations for the PFA and FWA awards.

11. Oscar: 7.5

The young Brazilian started life at Stamford Bridge in brilliant fashion. He announced himself on the European stage with a superb performance against Italian Champions Juventus, leaving Andrea Pirlo looking like a toddler who was playing football for the first time. Unfortunately, Oscar never quite transferred his European form to the Premier League. Still, he had a good debut season with double figures in goals and assists. He will only get better in the years to come.

12. John Obi Mikel: 6

John Obi Mikel made it another year without scoring a goal this season, and with no assists either, he is the new Stewart Downing. Apart from an impressive performance against Manchester United, Mikel didn't do much this season. He slows down the game and almost all his passes are sideways or backwards. Chelsea need holding midfielders who can feed the attackers and Mikel just doesn't fit the bill.

13. Victor Moses: 5.5

The statistics lie with regard to Moses. He may have scored 10 goals in 43 games this season but his overall play has been very poor. Often guilty of conceding possession cheaply, the Nigerian winger was regularly a source of frustration for the fans and was never quite convincing after the departure of Roberto di Matteo

16. Raul Meireles: 5

Many Chelsea fans will be forgiven for forgetting that Meireles played this season. The Portuguese midfielder only made three appearances before his switch to Fenerbahce, with nothing noteworthy in his performances.

17. Eden Hazard: 9.5

The young Belgian winger came with a massive reputation and an  equally massive transfer fee. Hazard terrorised defences from the word go this season, notching up 13 goals and 24 assists in all competitions. Many of his goals were utterly spectacular, including a 35-yard thunderbolt against Stoke and a sumptuous curler against Manchester United. His understanding with Juan Mata seemed telepathic at times and there is no doubt that their partnership will be vital for the Blues in the years to come.

19. Paulo Ferreira: 5.5

Another player who was nearly invisible this season. Ferreira featured in less than ten games and gave average performances.

21. Marko Marin: 4.5

The German winger had a season to forget. Injuries plagued his first year in English football and he hardly had an impact when called upon. Managed just one goal, which came in a 4-1 rout of Wigan.

22. Ross Turnbull: 5

Turnbull showed again this season that he is not a goalkeeper of Premier League quality. A truly awful performance in the draw with Brentford will not be easily forgotten by Chelsea fans.

23. Daniel Sturridge: 6

Sturridge barely got a chance this season, mainly due to injuries. He wasn't anywhere near as impressive as last season though and scored just twice before a move to Merseyside that has seen him fluorish.

24. Gary Cahill: 8

Cahill firmly established himself as a first-choice centre-back this season and has turned in consistently good performances. The first half of the season brought a barrage of goals for the England international, who finished with six for the season. He showed that he can be a good successor to John Terry with his ability to marshal the back-line. 

26. John Terry: 6

The Chelsea captain's powers are on the wane and he struggled more than ever to remain injury free this season. He is no longer a first-choice, even when fit, largely due to a complete lack of pace. While he has become something of a liability at the back, he is still a brilliant leader as well as one of the biggest aerial threats in the league. Six goals in 27 games is no mean feat for a centre-back.

28. Cesar Azpilicueta: 7.5

The young Spanish right-back had an impressive debut season in England, establishing himself in the Chelsea starting line-up. Although he did have a few moments this year where his inexperience was exposed, the majority of his performances were good. He was always willing to go forward and is a good crosser of the ball. He managed to notch up six assists in the Premier League.

29. Demba Ba: 7

The Senegalese striker was bought to remove the burden of scoring from Fernando Torres' shoulders, but didn't quite deliver as many goals as expected. However, his work rate cannot be called into question. He was always willing to impose himself upon defenders, something that was sorely missing in Torres' game. The alternate game rotation probably didn't suit him either. He did, however, give Chelsea fans some goals to remember with stunning acrobatic efforts against both Manchester clubs in the FA Cup

30. Yossi Benayoun: 4.5

Benayoun never had a chance of getting regular first team action this season with the likes of Mata, Hazard and Oscar in the attacking midfield positions. Chelsea fans are proably glad he didn't because he was ineffective whenever he did play.

34. Ryan Bertrand: 6

Bertrand was never quite convincing as an adequate deputy for Ashley Cole, and he didn't do much to change that this season. He was prone to giving the ball away a tad too often and also wasn't always reliable defensively.

35. Lucas Piazon: 6.5

The highly-rated Brazilian teenager got a few chances in the senior team before being sent on loan to Malaga and he put in some decent performances, notching up assists against Aston Villa and Wolves

57. Nathan Ake: 7

The young Dutch defender got his chance with the senior team this season and justified it with his performances both at the back and in midfield. Composed on the ball and mature beyond his years, Ake showed why he is so highly rated, and should be an important player for Chelsea in the future