Most goals scored by Chelsea player in a season: Cole Palmer enters top 5, Didier Drogba leads list

Cole Palmer's first season with Chelsea has been a huge success.

So much so that the Premier League bestowed him the Young Player of the Season award on Friday.

Sports Brief looks at the most goals scored by a Chelsea player in a single season as Palmer enters the top 5 of that list.

Most goals scored in a single season

1. Didier Drogba (29 goals, 2009-10)

Drogba cemented his status as one of the club's greatest players in the 2009-10 season when he scored a whopping 29 goals for the Blues in the Premier League.

He saved the best for last in Chelsea's final game of the season. Drogba delivered with his side needing a win against Wigan Athletic to capture the Premier League title, scoring a hat-trick in the resounding 8-0 victory.

He also had braces against Hull City, Arsenal (twice), Everton, Wolves, West Ham, and Portsmouth in that record-breaking season.

2. Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink (23 goals, 2000-01)

Hasselbaink previously held the scoring record, netting 23 goals for the Blues in the 2000-01 season.

His best performance that year came in the match against Coventry, where he scored four goals in the Blues' 6-1 win.

He posted the record after scoring five goals in the month of May, nabbing braces in the games against Everton and Liverpool.

3. Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink (23 goals, 2001-02)

Hasselbaink continued his excellent form in the 2001-02 season, matching the scoring record he posted in the previous league campaign.

He scored a hat-trick against Tottenham Hotspur and recorded braces against Chelsea, Middlesbrough, West Ham, Leicester, and Everton.

4. Frank Lampard (22 goals, 2009-10)

Drogba wasn't the only Chelsea player who had a career year in the 2009-10 season. Frank Lampard also flourished in that league campaign, scoring 22 goals to help the Blues win the Premier League title.

His best performance in that championship-winning season came in the match against Aston Villa, where he scored four goals in the Blues' 7-1 win.

He finished the season strong, scoring five goals in Chelsea's last four matches, including a brace against Wigan on the final day.

4. Cole Palmer (22 goals, 2023-24)

Palmer wasted no time joining Chelsea's legends on this list, scoring 22 goals in his first season with the club.

He has been on fire of late, scoring 12 goals in his last 10 league matches. 11 of those 12 goals were scored at Stamford Bridge, including a four-goal explosion against Everton and a hat-trick against Manchester United.

What made Palmer's scoring feat so impressive was that he managed to accomplish it in just 32 matches. His latest goal came in the win against Brighton, per Eurosport.

He has one last opportunity to add to that goal tally, with the Blues taking on Bournemouth on the final day.

A brace against the Cherries will see Palmer leapfrog Hasselbaink's mark.

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