Some periods of domination in the English Premier League, or 1st Division as it was called before the 1992/93 season were a complete surprise. Manchester United’s lackluster 1980’s followed by the hiring of a fairly unknown Scottish manager constantly erroneously referred to as ‘Alec’ Ferguson might not have provided many with the hope that here was a man who would dominate the English game for a quarter of century, sweeping up 13 Premier League titles. Managing in the Japanese J-League might not have heralded many to pronounce the professorial Arsene Wenger the new Messiah at Arsenal, though he changed the game.

One man who did come to the Premier League as someone fancied to change the fortunes of the club he was joining was one Portuguese manager, who came from F.C. Porto. Jose Mourinho was the new Chelsea manager, taking over from Claudio Ranieri.

If there was a result that symbolized what Mourinho would bring during the season, it was the opening one, as his Chelsea side drew Manchester United as their opening opponents. With another 1-0 win away at Everton and a 2-2 draw at Arsenal, Mourinho’s Chelsea blueprint was clear for fans of both his side and others to see:

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C5Ml3K2mRYY?feature=oembed&w=500&h=281]