The fans have decided! From the full 2000 goals scored under Roman Abramovich’s ownership which we narrowed down to a short-list of 26, we asked supporters last week to vote on which one of the many top strikes from the boys in blue was the best of them all in terms of pure quality.
The votes flooded in and have been counted, and here now we can announce the top three.Remember, the winner was chosen not for its significance but for the goalscoring magic involved, and the number one in the poll was by someone who certainly could conjure up something special.Eden Hazard had the most goals on our shortlist but that did not dilute the vote enough for him not to have scored our clear winner.It is his scintillating solo effort at home against Arsenal in February 2017 when the Blues were on our way to lifting the league title.
The 2000th goal since Roman Abramovich took over Chelsea in 2003 was headed in by Kai Havertz against Burnley at Stamford Bridge in our most recent home game, but it is a very different type of goal that takes number two spot in this poll.We were away in Barcelona on our way out of the Champions League in 2012 before Ramires’s remarkable chip set us back on our way to winning the biggest club prize for the first time.
The goal that finished third in the poll is another that hit the Barcelona net, and boy did it hit the target!
Michael Essien’s volley at the Bridge in the semi-final in 2009 was the one voted for by Petr Cech in his column last week, and no one would have argued too hard if that goal or the Ramires one had won the day – but Hazard shooting down the Gunners could not be topped.
Now, thanks to our 3-0 win at Leicester, the count for the next 2000 has begun.