I scored important goals and left the rest to Drogba – Essien

Former Chelsea midfielder Michael Essien has reflected on his time at Stamford Bridge, stating that while his former teammate Didier Drogba handled most of the goal-scoring, he focused on scoring crucial goals for the team.Drogba, who is Chelseas third all-time top scorer with 164 goals, was pivotal during his time at the club. Essien, however, noted that his own contributions were often decisive in key moments.”I only score when the team needs a goal. I score the important ones and leave the rest to Drogba and co, Essien told Joy Sports.During his Chelsea career from 2005 to 2013, the former Ghana international scored 25 goals and provided 20 assists. He highlighted his memorable strike against Arsenal in 2006 as his favorite goal.”My favourite ever is against Arsenal in 2006. First, because they are one of our biggest rivals, and second, we were playing at home and had to maintain our unbeaten record,” he added.Essien, now 41, holds a UEFA License A coaching certificate and has been working as an Individual Player Coach at Danish club FC Nordsjaelland since 2020.Currently, Chelsea sit eighth in the Premier League with seven points from four games in the 2024/2025 season.