Chelsea's three best players this season named by John Terry including star on six-game drought
Chelsea have endured a mixed season but are still well-placed to secure qualification for next season's Champions League, with icon John Terry singling out three stars for praise
John Terry has named Cole Palmer, Enzo Fernandez and Noni Madueke as Chelsea's three best players this season.
The Blues' season was at one point full of hope and they even had the chance to go top in mid-December. But the past three months has been much more difficult and they have slipped to fifth in the table, a staggering 21 points behind leaders Liverpool.
While boss Enzo Maresca has found himself coming under some pressure, it has been a solid first season in charge for the Italian. They remain in touch with the top four and are only a point behind Manchester City.
Terry believes three players in particular deserve credit for their efforts this season. The legendary skipper admitted he has not been surprised to see Maresca's men drop their levels in recent weeks.
READ MORE: Jose Mourinho has last laugh after Tottenham embark on transfer scouting missionREAD MORE: Joe Cole makes demand of new England boss Thomas Tuchel over Europe's 'most exciting footballer'"Well, Cole [Palmer] sticks out straight away,’ he told DR Sports. "And I think Enzo [Fernandez] has been very good. Noni [Madueke] as well, I think, has done well this year, he’s done a lot better and been really direct.
"Is the Champions League, still a possibility? Who knows. We’ve showed signs this year of being a really young squad I think. And I say that in terms of performances where you see a really good spell, then we’ve come off of it lately.
"It was always going to be one of those seasons for me, even when we started well I thought we’d have a little bit of a drop off and we have done that.
"Listen, Champions League has to be the minimum every year for me. When you’re playing at a top club like Chelsea the mentality has to be Champions League football year after year."
Palmer has scored 14 goals and notched six assists in all competitions, while Madueke has registered eight strikes and four assists with Fernandez a regular in midfield and taking on the captain's armband for much of the campaign.
Palmer has hit something of a drought in recent weeks, going six top-flight games without a goal, though Maresca is confident he will return to form. He said: "At this moment, Cole struggles to score, but he’s happy and he knows exactly it’s something normal.
"He knows that all the big players go through moments like this. It’s about how you react and he’s reacting perfectly. He’s laughing, he’s happy. He has to enjoy football and, for sure, we don’t have any doubt he is going to score more goals.
"When we don’t win or he doesn’t score he looks frustrated, but it’s normal. We are completely happy with him. He is happy and he knows what is happening in this moment is completely normal."
Join our new WhatsApp community and receive your daily dose of Mirror Football content. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.
Sky has slashed the price of its Essential TV and Sky Sports bundle in an unbeatable new deal that saves £192 and includes more than 1,000 live matches each season across the Premier League, EFL and more.