After four matches to the new Premier League season, only three clubs still boast of 100% winning start to the new season.
Surprisingly, Watford are one of those three clubs, meaning the Hornets sit 3rd in the table, behind Liverpool and Chelsea. Chelsea new manager, Maurizio Sarri, has now made the list of sixth manager ever to win their first four Premier League fixtures of the new season.
So far in the Premier League history, only seven clubs have nailed four wins on a streak after four games, with the likes of Manchester United, Manchester City, Arsenal, Newcastle United and Chelsea doing so on multiple occasions. Chelsea are the only club to have registered four straight wins six times, more than any other club in the league.
Past manager successful manager records:
Chelsea replaced their title-winning manager Antonio Conte earlier this summer with the appointment of the former Napoli boss who upon his appointment becomes the Blues eleventh boss to work under Roman Abramovich since the Russian-Israeli billionaire and politician took over of the club in 2003.
Abramovic’s no-mercy for failing managers has really helped the club, as Chelsea have gone on to secured five Premier League titles, five FA Cups, three League Cups, the Champions League and a couple of Community Shields.
Prior to the new season, the 2016/17 Premier League winner had won the league in four out of last five seasons that they had registered four straight winnings from their opening four Premier League games.
Chelsea did so winning back-to-back under Jose Mourinho in 2004/05 and 2005/06 season, then repeated this again under Mourinho in the second season of his second spell (2014/15), and also with Carlo Ancelotti in 2009/10 season. The only the Blues failed to finish top of the table after winning their first four games was in 2010/11 when the then-Ancelotti’s side were runners-up to Sir Alex Ferguson’s Manchester United.
Mourinho won the EPL title in his first in-charge at Chelsea, as did Ancelotti, and Antonio Conte, who led Chelsea to a then-record of 30 wins from 38 Premier League fixtures in 2016/17 season which record was smashed by Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City side who recorded a total of 32 wins in 38 matches last season.
It’s early days of course, but should Sarri go on to win the league he’ll become the sixth boss to do so in his debut season at a Premier League club, joining the above Chelsea trio, another former Blues boss in Claudio Ranieri who miraculously led Leicester to the title (2015/16), and Manuel Pellegrini (Man City, 2013/14) in this elite club.
Can Sarri emulate his predecessors ?
The Premier League is now going on a pause for the international break, meaning Chelsea will be handed some time to work on getting back stronger once more until Saturday 15th September before attempting to make their win streak five in five under Sarri. This record match the five win streak from Mourinho’s second season with Chelsea, and both seasons under Ancelotti.
Ancelotti also went on to register six win from six matches in his title-winning season, while Mourinho’s team of 2005/06 still holds the record with a nine straight win from the off which no team in the league has ever reached double figures.
Next up for Chelsea after the international break is Cardiff City and the Blues will be confident of recording all three points, before traveling to struggling West Ham United. Cardiff City and West Ham United – even PAOK at Europa League – doesn’t pose much threat for Chelsea whose real test is likely to come at the end of the month when they host Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool.