Cesc Fabregas has been a top talent from when he first started out as a teenager in the Premier League. He was tasked with skipper duties at a young age too at Arsenal, helping him develop faster. He has consistently provided at least ten assists for over six seasons in the Premier League.

Fabregas bailed Chelsea from the creativity conundrum last season and he is expected to continue to do so this term. With Juan Mata and Oscar gone, Fabregas was the man the team relied on in the 2014/2015 title winning season. The experienced playmaker delivered the title as he played a key role in that squad.

Upon return from his stint in Spain, Manchester United wanted him but he preferred to stay in London. In his first match, Fabregas delivered two assists. He played brilliant football in the first half of the season and even when the Portuguese manager switched style in the second half, he still delivered 18 assists total. The whole team sunk in performance the following season but when Mourinho was fired, Fabregas was among the few that thanked the coach openly.

Through the term of Guus Hiddink and the Italian man Antonio Conte, the Spaniard has continued to excel despite the snags on the way. There were rumours linking him with a move to AC Milan as he struggled to get game time last term. Conte preferred N’Golo Kante and Nemanja Matic as a defensive pairing, playing two wingbacks and two attackers behind the striker.

Fabregas that was expected to be the new Andrea Pirlo for Conte was nowhere to be found on the team, save for sub roles. The player that was used to fighting for a starting role all his career persevered. He was even injured at some point but he returned. When Matic got injured, Fabregas came on where he impressed in the crucial game against Manchester City.

Matic returned to first choice but Fabregas got more game time. He scored important goals and kept with the assists. He was a complete professional throughout the trying times under Conte and he is the better for it. He has gained Conte’s trust and has been promised more game time this term. Unlike Matic who headed out to Old Trafford when an opportunity came and competition was heating up as Tiemoue Bakayoko joined, Fabregas stayed.

He is set to cement his status as the consistent king of assists in recent Premier League, and if you think he can finally become the King of Assists this season (he's only 10 away in the all-time assists table) you can have a cheeky bet here. While he could need to boost his defensive capabilities, he remains a major player for the defending league champions.

Chelsea would face many tests this season as they compete in the Champions League and on the local front, but at least they have the man who used to ‘hate John Terry’ before he moved to Stamford Bridge.