After the first few years of the Roman Abramovich era at Stamford Bridge, there were many who predicted that Chelsea was set to dominate English football interminably. They had almost unlimited funds, a savvy manager in Jose Mourinho, and a mixture of talented English and foreign stars. Many of these overseas players were African with the first to arrive being Ivorian Didier Drogba.

Drogba cost £24 million from Marseille and was one of Mourinho’s most important signings in 2004. In the Ivorian’s debut season he helped Chelsea win their first league title in 50 years, and en route gave many defenders nightmares. The African presence at Chelsea increased in 2005 with the signing of Michael Essien.

The Ghanaian’s transfer was a record for any African player and cost the Blues £24.4 million. Essien was fabulous in his first season and was the lynchpin of the team as they managed to retain the league title. Since then, the arrival of Nigerian John Mikel Obi and Ivorian Solomon Kalou in 2006 has expanded the African contingent at the club. Not coincidentally, Chelsea won the FA Cup and League Cup in that same season.

Yet since Mourinho’s departure in 2007, Chelsea has been in decline. The club have failed to recapture the league title and have employed and fired two managers in two years. Rumours abound that Abramovich might not have the financial muscle he once flexed. This season, on the field, Chelsea’s team of ageing stars are scrapping for fourth place. Drogba has only one league goal all season, Kalou has not progressed as a player, and Essien has missed almost the entire season through injury.

However, this Saturday could turn around Chelsea’s season completely. The Blues travel to third-placed Aston Villa, a team brimming with youthful confidence and steady experience. If Chelsea are to save their season, then a victory at Villa Park is a must, and the only way to accomplish this task is to have a fired-up Drogba, a switched-on Kalou, and a determined Mikel.