Chronicle Editor
CESC FABREGAS left the Stamford Bridge pitch in tears after playing his final game for Chelsea.
The 31-year-old Spaniard is on the verge of reuniting with his former teammate Thierry Henry at Monaco.
It was a bittersweet farewell for the Premier League veteran as he captained Chelsea against Forest on Saturday and missed a penalty in his final game at Stamford Bridge.
Luckily for Fabregas, the Blues won the FA Cup third round clash 2-0 after a brace from his heavily criticised countryman Alvaro Morata – although he did have a contender for miss of the season.
With five minutes to go, boss Maurizio Sarri decided to haul the Spaniard off, sending N’Golo Kante to action.
Fabregas received a standing ovation from more than 40,000 gathered at the stadium as he made a tearful farewell to the Blues faithful.
And assistant manager Carlo Cudicini was full of praise for the playmaking midfielder.
He said: “What can I say about Cesc? Five hundred games, he is a player who is unique, he has an unbelievable awareness and vision of where his teammates are on the pitch.
“He is a one of a kind player. Cesc is a top, top player.”
Fabregas was also embraced by his teammates before falling into the arms of his coach Sarri on the touchline.
The midfielder is now set to join Henry’s Monaco after reportedly agreeing a two-and-a-half-year with a £9m signing-on bonus.
Fabregas will reunite with his ex-Arsenal teammate who took over at the French side in October.
The Spaniard spent eight years with the Gunners, winning the league as a part of the Invincibles who went unbeaten through the 2003/04 season, before moving to Barcelona in 2011.
He returned to the Premier League three years later with the Blues and won another two league titles at Stamford Bridge, in 2015 and 2017.
Fabregas will leave the English top tier with 350 league appearances under his belt and having second-most assists in the Prem’s history.
He was also the fastest to achieve 100 assists in the Premier League – doing so in just 293 matches and beating second Ryan Giggs by 74 games. — Fox Sport
Online Reporter