After six and a half years as Chelsea's undisputed number one striker, along came £50million man Fernando Torres in January to ease him finally towards the Stamford Bridge exit.

Drogba's days were numbered, he had failed to recapture his form after a bout of malaria, he was fast approaching his 33rd birthday, and he had only 18 months left on his contract.

But anyone who was ready to dethrone Drogba and crown Torres in his place were in for the rudest of awakenings.

For, like a cornered animal, Drogba immediately recognised his status was under threat and responded.

As Torres floundered, Drogba set about inspiring the Blues to the brink of what would have been the greatest comeback in the history of the Barclays Premier League.

The Ivorian played like a man possessed for much of the second half of last season, so much so that manager Carlo Ancelotti was lambasted for snubbing him for Torres during Chelsea's fateful Champions League defeat at Manchester United.

Yet, Drogba's bulldozing displays meant he still went on to finish the campaign as the main man once more and with a new contract in the pipeline.

His performances in the wake of Torres' arrival should have come as no surprise, with Drogba having spent almost seven years seeing off his rivals.

Andriy Shevchenko, Hernan Crespo, Mateja Kezman and Eidur Gudjohnsen are all distant memories, while Nicolas Anelka, Salomon Kalou and Daniel Sturridge have been forced to settle for supporting roles.

Ancelotti tried his hardest to get Torres and Drogba working in tandem but there appears to be room for only one top dog at Stamford Bridge, with statistics showing the pair barely managed to pass the ball to each other.

However, Torres cost too much for Chelsea to give up on their record signing and, should he begin to justify his price tag, the competition for places up front this season will be a fascinating one.

Much may depend on what type of game new manager Andre Villas-Boas tries to play.

Chelsea have been set up to exploit Drogba's physicality for several years but owner Roman Abramovich is thought to want a more subtle approach from his side.

Any change in that direction would appear to benefit Torres but achieving that transition while challenging for major honours will prove easier said than done.

If it does happen, that might be what finally spells the end for Drogba, who recently admitted he knows he cannot fend off his rivals forever.

"I am not going to play until I am 80 years old and so I know there will come a time when a younger player will come and take my place," he said.

"That is how I came to be here. I was young and I took somebody's place but that is football and that is life.

"I am 33 now. I am the oldest player at Chelsea. It feels strange but I am not worried.

"If I deserve to play, then I will. If I am no good, then I won't.

"It has been like this for me all the years I have been at Chelsea.

"It was the same when Eidur Gudjohnsen was here; when Sheva was here. It is nothing new and it is good for the team to have some competition.

"It will push the team forward and get the best out of us."

And a Drogba at his best will be almost impossible to ignore.