Long before he set Anfield alight, Mohamed Salah spent a brief and largely forgettable spell at Chelsea. In February 2014, the 21-year-old Egyptian made his Premier League bow when he replaced Willian in the 78th minute of a 3-0 win over Newcastle United.
Almost a decade later, Salah is one of English football’s brightest stars, while most of the colleagues who shared the pitch that afternoon have either hung up their boots or are winding down their playing days.
Starting XI
Goalkeeper: Petr Cech
Cech joined Chelsea from Rennes in 2004 and guarded their net for 11 seasons. In 2015 he crossed London to Arsenal, spending four campaigns there before retiring in 2019. He later returned to Stamford Bridge as technical advisor and even tried his hand at ice hockey with Guildford Phoenix.
Right-back: Branislav Ivanović
The Serbian defender arrived in 2008 and became a cornerstone of Chelsea’s back line, collecting almost every major honour. After leaving in 2017 he spent three years with Zenit St Petersburg, had a brief stint at West Brom and called time on his career in July 2021.
Centre-back: Gary Cahill
Signed from Bolton Wanderers in 2012, Cahill enjoyed seven trophy-laden seasons at the Bridge. He moved to Crystal Palace in 2019, then to Bournemouth, and has been a free agent since his contract there expired early last July.
Centre-back: David Luiz
Luiz first joined Chelsea in 2011, spending three years before heading to Paris Saint-Germain. He returned in 2016 for another three-season run, left for Arsenal in 2019 and went home to Flamengo in the summer of 2021.
Left-back / Utility Defender: César Azpilicueta
The versatile Spaniard arrived from Marseille in 2012 and is now Chelsea’s long-serving captain. With more than 450 appearances, he has lifted every major club trophy, most notably the Premier League and the Champions League.
Midfielder: Nemanja Matić
Matić had two Chelsea spells. The first began in 2009, with loans and a permanent move to Benfica, before the Blues re-signed him in 2014. He departed for Manchester United in 2017, stayed five seasons and left when his contract ran out in the summer of 2022.
Midfielder: Frank Lampard
A club legend, Lampard swapped West Ham for Chelsea in 2001 and spent 13 seasons racking up records and silverware. After exits to New York City FC and a short loan at Manchester City, he retired in 2016. Lampard has since managed Derby County, Chelsea (2019–21) and, from 2022, Everton, whom he steered clear of relegation last term.
Midfielder: Oscar
Oscar joined from Internacional in 2012 and sparkled for five seasons before making a lucrative switch to Shanghai Port in China, sacrificing Premier League limelight for a hefty pay packet.
Winger: Willian
Signed from Anzhi Makhachkala in 2013, Willian spent his peak years at Chelsea, winning two league titles. He moved to Arsenal in 2020, returned to Brazil with Corinthians a year later and continues to ply his trade in his homeland.
Striker: Samuel Eto’o
The former Barcelona star joined Chelsea in 2013 on a one-year deal. Afterward he had spells with Everton, Sampdoria and Qatar SC before retiring in 2019 at the age of 38.
Winger: Eden Hazard
Arriving from Lille in 2012, Hazard thrilled Stamford Bridge for seven seasons, bagging two league titles, a Europa League, an FA Cup and a League Cup. A 2019 move to Real Madrid promised new heights, but recurring injuries have blunted the Belgian’s brilliance.
Substitutes
Mohamed Salah
Salah never nailed down a regular Chelsea place and was loaned to Fiorentina and Roma before joining the latter permanently for 2016/17. Liverpool brought him back to England in 2017, and the rest—Champions League glory, golden boots and goal records—has become modern folklore.
André Schürrle
The German winger signed from Bayer Leverkusen in 2013 and spent two seasons at Chelsea. Later stints at Wolfsburg, Dortmund, Fulham and Spartak Moscow followed before his surprise retirement in July 2020 at just 29.
Demba Ba
Ba swapped Newcastle United for Chelsea in January 2013, staying 18 months—his most famous moment a goal at Anfield after Steven Gerrard’s slip. He then journeyed through Beşiktaş, Shanghai Shenhua, Başakşehir and, most recently, FC Lugano in Switzerland’s second tier.