Throughout the years, Chelsea has produced some of the elite strikers in the world. Some of them proved to be world-class while some were really not worth the investment. Players like Didier Drogba, Bobby Tambling, and Peter Osgood probably come to mind when we talk about the top Chelsea strikers of all time.
The Blues had a number of great players in the 1960s and 70s. Peter Osgood and Bobby Tambling are legends at Chelsea. A big part of Chelsea’s success in the Roman Abramovich era was orchestrated by some of the stalwarts of the game who achieved phenomenal success with the West London giants. So, we will look at all of the past Chelsea strikers and identify the best strikers on this list.
Best Chelsea strikers of all time
| Pos | Name | Years | League goals | FA Cup goals | League Cup goals | Europe goals | Other | Total |
| 1. | Bobby Tambling | 1959–1970 | 164 | 25 | 10 | 3 | 0 | 202 |
| 2. | Kerry Dixon | 1983–1992 | 147 | 8 | 25 | 0 | 13 | 193 |
| 3. | Didier Drogba | 2004–2012 & 2014–2015 | 104 | 12 | 10 | 36 | 2 | 164 |
| 4. | Roy Bentley | 1948–1956 | 128 | 21 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 150 |
| 5 | Peter Osgood | 1964–1974 & 1978–1979 | 105 | 19 | 10 | 16 | 0 | 150 |
1. Bobby Tambling – 202 goals
Bobby Tambling is the best Chelsea striker of all time- based on goals scored for Chelsea. He arrived at Chelsea in 1959 and played 370 times for The Blues. He was at the top as one of Chelsea’s best strikers over the years.
Tambling is still regarded as one of the most iconic players in the English league with 164 goals to his name. His total of 202 goals is the second-highest goals scored for Chelsea in all competitions, nine behind record-holder Frank Lampard. He held the record for most goals scored for 47 years until Lampard surpassed him in 2013.
Tambling made his debut for Chelsea in 1959 at just 15 years old. Over the years, Tambling scored frequently for the club throughout 12 seasons at Chelsea. But despite his goalscoring prowess, Chelsea only managed the Football League Cup during his time at the club. Nevertheless, Tamnling was one of the best players to ever pull on a shirt at Stamford Bridge.
2. Kerry Dixon – 193 goals
Kerry Dixon is the Chelsea’s second-highest goalscorer with 193 goals. He was a focal point of Chelsea’s attack in the 1980s, helping the club win the 1984 and 1986 Second Division titles.
The English striker arrived at Chelsea in 1983 and spent ten years at the club until he moved in 1992. Dixon is also ninth on the all-time appearances record list with 420 appearances for Chelsea.
3. Didier Drogba – 164 goals
The king of Stamford Bridge in the Roman Abramovich era will go down in history as one of the chelsea best strikers of all time. Didier Drogba scored an incredible 164 goals for Chelsea during his two spells at the club.
He initially signed for Chelsea from Marseille in July 2004 and the £24 million transfer fee paid for the Ivory Coast forward was a club record at the time. In his debut season, he won the Premier League title which was Chelsea’s first top league title in 50 years. During his third season at Chelsea, Drogba scored 20 league goals. Drogba also held the record for most goals in a Premier League season with 29 goals scored in 2009/10.
Drogba left Chelsea after the 2011/12 season but later returned to the club in 2014/15 before leaving for MLS in the next season.
4. Roy Bentley – 150 goals
The English center-forward was the captain and the best Chelsea attacker of all time when they landed their first league title in 1955. Bentley joined the Blues in 1948 and went on to make 367 appearances, scoring 150 goals in the process before sanctioning his transfer to Fulham eight years later. He was Chelsea’s top scorer for seven consecutive seasons and is currently the joint-fifth-highest total in the club’s history.
He bagged nine goals in his 12 appearances for England and represented the Three Lions in the 1950 World Cup. Bentley was the last surviving member of the 1950 England World Cup squad when he died on 20 April 2018 at the age of 93.
5. Peter Osgood – 150 goals
Peter Osgood is a legend at Stamford Bridge and is one of the best Chelsea strikers. Osgood scored a total of 150 goals in 367 appearances for the English giants.
The English signed for Chelsea in 1964 and played for ten years at the club until he moved to Southampton in 1974. He made his debut for Chelsea at just 17 years old. He was known for his silky skills and good looks earning the nickname “The King of Stamford Bridge”. He was the club’s top-scorer in the 1969/70 and 1970/71 seasons.
Osgood passed away in March 2006 at the age of 59 following a heart attack. To this day, there is a statue of Peter Osgood outside the West Stand (after being completed in 2010).