The 2024/25 season was an interesting one for Chelsea fans, as it heralded not one but two beloved anniversaries. In 2004/05, the Blues landed their maiden Premier League title and doubled up by lifting the League Cup trophy – José Mourinho’s ‘Special One’ era was born.
And in 2014/15, there was a remarkable and spooky repeat: with Mourinho at the helm, Chelsea once again won the Premier League title and hoisted the League Cup. Which brings us nicely to, or should that be back to, the 2005/06 campaign… which very much deserves an anniversary celebration of its own.
On Cloud Nine
𝗧𝗲𝗮𝗺: @ChelseaFC
𝗦𝗲𝗮𝘀𝗼𝗻: 2005/06
𝗠𝗮𝗻𝗮𝗴𝗲𝗿: Jose Mourinho
𝗣𝗹𝗮𝘆𝗲𝗿𝘀: Cech, Gallas, Carvalho, Terry, Del Horno, Robben, Essien, Lampard, Makelele, Cole, Drogba
Did you get it right? ✅ pic.twitter.com/3MAruM48aa
— Premier League (@premierleague) June 11, 2020
Those who have experienced such things often remark that defending a title can be more difficult than winning one in the first place. Whether it’s heightened expectations, increased pressure, players taking their foot off the gas or a combination of the three, winning the Premier League title in consecutive years has been, according to the history books at least, a tough old task.
Chelsea, in 2005/06, would battle second season syndrome of their own, but they would do so with Mourinho – still at his charismatic, egotistical best – at the helm and a raft of new signings to bed in. Of them, only Michael Essien was an overwhelming success – what a titan he would turn out to be for the club, so otherwise it was a case of as you were for Mourinho and his men.
Mind you, they needn’t have worried… The Blues won their opening nine Premier League games of the new season, which remains an EPL record to this day, and kept clean sheets in the first six of those on the bounce. The highlight was a 4-1 thrashing of Liverpool.
The run came to an end in a 1-1 draw with Everton on October 23, before a 4-2 win over Blackburn Rovers was followed by the Blues’ first defeat of the league season, which came at the hands of Manchester United. But, if anything, that loss only strengthened Chelsea’s resolve… and they would embark on another record breaking run thereafter.
Perfect Ten
The Premier League record books tell us that the milestone for the most consecutive wins in the division is 18, shared by Manchester City (2017) and Liverpool (2019/20). So Chelsea’s run of ten consecutive victories between November 19, 2005, and January 15, 2006, isn’t really even close to the record. But in terms of determining the destination of the Premier League trophy, it would prove decisive.
It was another hot streak that confirmed Chelsea’s extraordinary defensive prowess – seven clean sheets kept – as much as their attacking brilliance, but even so Mourinho’s men notched two or more goals in seven of those ten triumphs. A catalogue of different players found their names on the scoresheet during that run, with Hernan Crespo, Arjen Robben, Joe Cole, Frank Lampard and Didier Drogba just some of those confirming what good work the Blues had done in the transfer window in the seasons prior.
Well Ahead of the Rest
By mid-January, Chelsea were 16 points clear of the rest – their goal difference already 16 better than second-placed Manchester United. Is it any wonder that the Blues idled for much of the rest of the season? Of course, they were still battling away on other fronts. They finished second in their Champions League group to book a place in the knockout phase, with Barcelona to be the opponents over two legs in February and March.
The first leg at Stamford Bridge was rather scuppered when Asier del Horno was sent off in the 37th minute. The Blues battled hard, but two late goals secured Barca a 2-1 victory. The second leg at the Nou Camp was set up perfectly, but Chelsea just couldn’t find a way past an outstanding Barcelona side. Ronaldinho popped up with a goal to make it 3-1 on aggregate to the Catalans, and while Frank Lampard pulled one back from the penalty spot in injury time, it was too little, too late and Mourinho’s Champions League dream was over for the season.
Domestic Cups
The domestic cups were something of a disappointment too, Chelsea were knocked out of the League Cup in the third round by Charlton Athletic, although more resistance was put up in the FA Cup. The Blues saw off Huddersfield Town, Everton, Colchester United and Newcastle United en route to the semi-finals, but – in a tie played at Old Trafford back in the days that FA Cup semi-finals were hosted on neutral territory – Liverpool would prove to be too strong on the day, running out 2-1 victors.
So, in a sense, Chelsea’s season was over in April. They had been knocked out of all the cups and had been confirmed, mathematically, as Premier League champions on April 29 – doing it in style by beating closest rivals Manchester United 3-0.
Premier League Wins
That win at Stamford Bridge, the club’s final appearance at home that season, was telling. It meant that Chelsea won every single one of their home games in the Premier League in 2005/06; an astonishing achievement that you suspect will never be beaten. In truth, the 2005/06 campaign was one of thrilling highs for Chelsea… a season well worth commemorating two decades on.