Season: 2014–15

Notes

Champions again, with the League Cup alongside the league trophy. José Mourinho’s second season back brought Chelsea’s fourth Premier League title and fifth English championship overall. Diego Costa gave the attack a sharp, uncompromising edge, Cesc Fàbregas supplied the passes, Thibaut Courtois returned to take his place in goal and Didier Drogba came home for one more season. With Matić protecting the defence and Hazard turning tight games into Chelsea wins, the pieces fitted. Mourinho remained in charge throughout, and this time the promise of the previous campaign became silverware. Chelsea finished eight points clear of Manchester City with 87 points: 26 wins, nine draws and three defeats, goals 73–32 and a +41 difference. Stamford Bridge stayed unbeaten in the league — 15 wins and four draws, goals 36–9 — while the away record was 11–5–3, goals 37–23. John Terry played every minute of all 38 league matches, leading the division’s meanest defence. Costa led the scoring with 20 league goals and 21 overall; Hazard contributed 14 in the league and 19 overall, Rémy nine overall and Terry eight. Fàbregas supplied 18 Premier League assists, and Hazard swept the Premier League, PFA and Football Writers’ player awards. The opening night at Burnley on 18 August set the tone: Costa’s equaliser, Fàbregas’s exquisite pass for Schürrle and a 3–1 win. There was attacking abandon in the 6–3 win at Everton, a Costa hat-trick in the 4–2 home win over Swansea and a commanding 2–0 against Arsenal. The unbeaten league start ended at Newcastle on 6 December, and the 5–3 defeat at Tottenham on New Year’s Day was a jolt. Chelsea answered with a 5–0 win at Swansea and then learned how to close the door. Rémy’s winner at Hull, Fàbregas’s late strike at QPR, Hazard’s goal against Manchester United, a disciplined 0–0 at Arsenal and a 3–1 comeback at Leicester carried the title charge into May. On 3 May, Crystal Palace came to the Bridge with Chelsea one win from the championship. Hazard’s penalty was saved by Speroni, but the Belgian followed in to head home the rebound before half-time. The 1–0 win secured the title with three matches to spare. There was relief as well as joy: the team had combined the flair of autumn with the resolve of spring, spending a competition-record 274 days at the top. The trophy presentation came after the final-day 3–1 win over Sunderland on 24 May, Costa scoring a penalty and Rémy twice. Drogba was carried off by his team-mates as his final Chelsea appearance came to an end — a champion leaving among champions. The League Cup had already provided the first celebration. Bolton were beaten 2–1 at home, Shrewsbury 2–1 away and Derby 3–1 away. Liverpool held Chelsea 1–1 at Anfield on 20 January, Hazard scoring from the spot, before Ivanović headed the extra-time winner in a 1–0 home victory on 27 January: 2–1 on aggregate. At Wembley on 1 March, Tottenham threatened early and Eriksen hit the bar, but Terry struck just before half-time. Costa’s shot went in off Walker after the break to make it 2–0. Čech kept goal and Zouma filled the holding role with Matić suspended; Chelsea managed the game with authority. It was the club’s fifth League Cup and Mourinho’s first trophy since returning. The FA Cup supplied the season’s biggest shock. A 3–0 home win over Watford on 4 January led to Bradford City in the fourth round on 24 January. Cahill and Ramires put Chelsea 2–0 ahead, but the League One visitors fought back to win 4–2 at the Bridge. In Europe, Chelsea topped Champions League Group G unbeaten with 14 points, ahead of Schalke, Sporting Lisbon and Maribor. The highlights included Maribor 6–0 at home and Schalke 5–0 away. Paris Saint-Germain awaited again in the last 16, but this time the away-goals rule went against Chelsea. Ivanović scored in the 1–1 draw in Paris on 17 February. At the Bridge on 11 March, Ibrahimović was sent off in the first half, yet PSG refused to fall away. Cahill’s late opener was cancelled by David Luiz’s header; in extra time Hazard’s penalty restored the lead, before Thiago Silva headed in for 2–2. It finished 3–3 on aggregate and Paris advanced on away goals. That disappointment could not erase the domestic double. Home league crowds averaged 41,546, with a high of 41,629 against Burnley and a low of 41,098 against Stoke. The season belonged to a side that could dazzle, defend and, above all, finish the job.

Sources

• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Chelsea_F.C._seasons
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2014%E2%80%9315_Chelsea_F.C._season
• https://www.fchd.info/CHELSEA.HTM
• https://www.bounder.friardale.co.uk/Summaries/2014.htm
• https://www.bounder.friardale.co.uk/Results/2014.htm
• https://www.european-football-statistics.co.uk/attn/archive/eng/aveeng2015.htm
• https://www.premierleague.com/en/news/693677
• https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/32471261
• https://www.chelseafc.com/en/news/article/every-chelsea-appearance-in-the-league-cup-final
• https://www.thefa.com/news/2015/mar/01/chelsea-shut-out-tottenham-hotspur-in-capital-one-cup-final
• https://www.uefa.com/uefachampionsleague/news/021f-0e9ae4f7d3ac-12260568f8e5-1000--ten-man-paris-through-after-stunning-chelsea/