Aubemayang leads Chelsea 2023 sale XI that would give Pochettino’s side a run for their money

It’s been a difficult season for Chelsea, but not so much for those who escaped the bin fire of a football club in 2023. We’ve come up with an XI of players who have left Stamford Bridge over the last 12 months and thrived.

By the way, there’s no place for Hakim Ziyech, who’s been flying for Galatasaray of late, or David Datro Fofana, who’s impressed for Burnley. Romelu Lukaku hasn’t made the cut despite his 20 goals for Roma, and Mateo Kovacic also misses out despite his growing influence in Manchester City’s midfield.

GK: Kepa Arrizabalaga (Real Madrid)

Djordje Petrovic and Roberto Sanchez’s respective save percentages of 66.0 and 71.2 pale in comparison to Kepa’s 75.5, which is worse than that of Andriy Lunin (79.3) – who’s pinched his spot in the first team, condemning Kepa to potential infamy as a two-time Champions League-winning bench dweller – but is the fourth best in the whole of La Liga.

Kepa’s PSxG minus goals allowed (a far better metric of assessing goalkeeper quality) score of +2.0 is also significantly better than the two goalkeepers currently vying for their place in Mauricio Pochettino’s team.

RB: Cesar Azpilicueta (Athletico Madrid)

Malo Gusto has provided excellent cover for the perenially injured Reece James, and in Gusto’s absence Axel Disasi, Trevoh Chalobah and Alfie Gilchrist have all filled in admirably. In fact, right-back is one of very few areas of the Chelsea team that hasn’t been a problem this season.

What Chelsea have quite clearly missed, though, is experience and leadership, which Azpilicueta – having played over 500 games for the Blues, winning literally everything in the process – has in spades. He’s played in five different positions in his debut season under Diego Simeone, and that versatility is another rare and brilliant quality Chelsea have sorely missed.

CB: Ethan Ampadu (Leeds)

One of the most experienced 23 year olds in the game, Ampadu’s already racked up 51 caps for Wales and has played in the Bundesliga and Serie A.

He’s really found a home at Leeds this season, playing every minute in the Championship and taking on the captaincy from Liam Cooper in the second half of the campaign after moving from defensive midfield to centre-back.

CB: Kalidou Koulibaly (Al Hilal)

Todd Boehly’s claimed that Koulibaly – one of his favourites, apparently – struggled to adapt to the Premier League as he wasn’t used to “having to run while I think”, which explains a lot.

That’s clearly not a problem for him in the Saudi Pro League though, where his Al Hilal side are unbeaten, winning all but two of their 28 games, conceding just 19 goals with Koulibaly playing every minute since joining three games into the season.

LB: Ian Maatsen (Borussia Dortmund)

It’s come as a surprise to no-one that Maatsen has thrived on loan at Borussia Dortmund, who will surely be in the running to activate his reported €35m release clause given he’s played every minute in the Champions League knockouts on their way to the final and started every Bundesliga game before being rested with the semi-final against PSG in mind.

The obsession with pure profit will undoubtedly win out, but it must be grating for Chelsea fans that the best-performing Chelsea left-back this season a) wasn’t used in the first half of the campaign, and b) is set to play in a Champions League final having been brilliant for someone else in the second half.