Top 5 Penalty Takers In Chelsea’s History

The striker at Chelsea football club rarely takes penalties, a trend that can be traced back to the 60s, even when club legends like Bobby Tambling and Peter Osgood were at the club. The strikers hence rarely ever stat-pad, making their records even more special. Here, we’ll take a look at the best penalty takers in Chelsea’s history.

Best Penalty Takers at Chelsea : All Time

#5: Peter Sillett (12 goals)

Peter Sillett was a part of the first Chelsea side to have won the first division title in 1954-55, under captain Roy Bentley. Sillett was a strong running right-back and very famously scored the goal that essentially won the title for Chelsea making him a club icon. During the match against Chelsea’s primary rivals that season, Wolves, he stepped up to convert a penalty nervelessly. Chelsea then wrapped up the league in the next match with a win over Sheffield Wednesday.

He played for Chelsea from 1953 to 1962 and scored 34 goals in the process. He was the record scoring defender in the club’s history until John Terry overtook him in that regard.

Sillett was a cultured distributor of the ball and was a very resolute defender as well, despite these qualities, he was best known for his shot-power and accuracy. He was a menace from anywhere within 40 yards of the opponent goal. Such was his power and accuracy, that opponents often place walls even when the freekick was at the halfway line. He was the author of many spectacular goals, often described as some of the best Stamford Bridge has ever seen.

#4: Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink (12 goals)

A part of a rare breed of Chelsea strikers to take penalties, Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink scored 12 penalty goals in 177 appearances for the Blues. He played in West London for 4 seasons from 2000 to 2004 after moving from Atletico Madrid for a club-record fee of 15 million. After Vialli was dismissed and his former boss, Ranieri was appointed, Jimmy was known to be disappointed. However, he still turned out to the Premier League’s top scorer scoring 23 goals in 35 matches. He scored 23 goals in the following season as well, but it turned out to be one short of the top scorer Theirry Henry, who also beat Hasselbaink and Chelsea in the 00/01’s FA Cup final.

In the following seasons, his output was limited as Ranieri shaped the squad to get the most out of Zola. Hasselbaink still managed to score 15 goals, one short of Zola’s record in the 02-03 season. Hasselbaink had a rocket of a left foot, despite being right-footed primarily. This resulted in him scoring a lot of spectacular goals from outside the box.

#3: Dennis Wise (14 goals)

Dennis wise was like a terrier in midfield and represented the Blues 353 times in his 11 years at the club. Signed from Wimbledon in 1990, Wise scored 13 goals from midfield in his very first season. The following season he turned out to be the club’s top goalscorer when he scored 14 goals. Wise’s stature at the club was growing with every match and in 1993, following captain Andy Townsend’s departure, Wise was made the captain by manager Glenn Hoddle.

In his 11 year spell at the club, Wise won 2 FA Cups, 1 League Cup, 1 Cup Winner’s Cup, and 1 Super Cup along with a charity shield in his final season.

Wise provided vital contributions in both the League Cup win and the Cup Winner’s Cup win, providing an assist in each of them. Wise was sold by manager Ranieri in 2001 to decrease the average age of the squad.

#2: Eden Hazard (17 goals)

Hazard moved to Chelsea from Lille in 2012 just after Chelsea won the Champions League for a deal worth 32 million. After back to back Player of the Year awards in France, Hazard was a man in demand but he chose the European Champions as he said in his famous tweet.

During his 7 year spell at the club, he won 2 Europa League awards, 2 Premier League titles, 1 FA Cup and 1 League Cup. Hazard made quite a name for himself as he was the Player of the Year at Chelsea four times, including both the years when the Blues won the Premier League.

The Belgian’s output in terms of goals was often criticized, but his magical feet meant he often skipped past from challenges, attracting more players to him, which ultimately made more space for his teammates to score. Hazard is now consistently included as one of the best players in the world. With his quick feet, dribbling ability, acceleration and speed, Hazard has a very unique skillset.

The former Blue with his ability to control the game’s tempo, led Belgium to a bronze medal in the 2018 World Cup, closely losing out to France in the semi-finals.

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#1: Frank Lampard (41 goals)

There are very few Chelsea top 5 lists where Lampard’s name doesn’t pop up. Lampard was preferred as the first-choice penalty taker by all of his managers during his time at Chelsea.

Lampard signed in 2001 from cross-town rivals, West Ham, and made 648 appearances in the next 13 years in West London. Lampard was a gifted box-to-box midfielder who consistently managed to contribute 20 goals from midfield, a big bonus to any manager. His work ethic and durability were also magnificent. Lampard was always eager to learn, which is shown by the consistent improvement in his gameplay.

He won 13 major honors at the club, including the prestigious Champions League and 3 Premier League titles. He was also voted the Premier League player of the decade (2001-10) beating legends like Cristiano Ronaldo and Thierry Henry in the process.

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