The 2009–10 season was

Chelsea Football Club Chelsea Football Club is a professional football club based in Fulham, West London, England. The club was founded in 1905 and named after neighbouring area Chelsea. They compete in the Premier League, the top tier of English football, pl ...

's 96th competitive season, 18th consecutive season in the

Premier League The Premier League is a professional association football league in England and the highest level of the English football league system. Contested by 20 clubs, it operates on a system of promotion and relegation with the English Football Lea ...

, 104th year in existence as a

football club In association football, a football club (or association football club, alternatively soccer club) is a sports club that acts as an entity through which association football teams organise their sporting activities. The club can exist either as ...

and their first season coached by

Carlo Ancelotti Carlo Ancelotti (; born 10 June 1959) is an Italian professional football manager and former player who is the manager of the Brazil national team. Nicknamed "Carletto" in Italy and "Don Carlo" in Spain, he is regarded as one of the greatest ...

. Despite disappointment in the Champions League going out to eventual winners Inter Milan in the round of 16, the club had the most successful season in its history, winning the

for a third time and retaining the

FA Cup The Football Association Challenge Cup, more commonly known as the FA Cup, is an annual Single-elimination tournament, knockout association football, football competition in domestic Football in England, English football. First played during ...

for the first time, thus becoming the seventh English club to complete the "Double". The season is also notable for the attacking football that was displayed, which resulted in the team breaking several

Premier League records and statistics The Premier League is an English professional league for association football clubs. At the top of the English football league system, it is the country's primary football competition and is contested by 20 clubs. The competition was formed in F ...

including most goals scored in a season (103), most goals scored at home in a season (68) and best goal difference in a season (+71). Chelsea became the first top-flight team to reach a century of league goals since Tottenham Hotspur in 1962/63. The team only failed to score in two of 53 games, a club record. As of 2022, the team holds the Premier League record for most goals scored at home in a season.

Kits

Supplier:

Adidas Adidas AG (; stylized in all lowercase since 1949) is a German athletic apparel and footwear corporation headquartered in Herzogenaurach, Bavaria, Germany. It is the largest sportswear manufacturer in Europe, and the second largest in the ...

/ Sponsor:

Samsung Samsung Group (; stylised as SΛMSUNG) is a South Korean Multinational corporation, multinational manufacturing Conglomerate (company), conglomerate headquartered in the Samsung Town office complex in Seoul. The group consists of numerous a ...

Season summary

Chelsea won the FA Cup and the English Premier League to complete the Double for the first time in their history, while breaking numerous Premier League records in the number of goals they managed.

Key dates

* 01.06.09:

is appointed as the new Chelsea manager following the departure of temporary first team coach

Guus Hiddink Guus Hiddink (; born 8 November 1946) is a Dutch former football manager and professional player. He enjoyed a long career playing as a midfielder in his native Netherlands. Retired as player in 1982, Hiddink went into management, leading both c ...

, with his tenure set to commence on 1 July. * 02.07.09: Goalkeeper

Ross Turnbull Ross Turnbull (born 4 January 1985) is an English former professional association football, footballer who played as a goalkeeper (association football), goalkeeper. Between 2002 and 2015 he made 148 league appearances, mostly for Middlesbrough ...

signs a four-year deal on a free transfer from

Middlesbrough Middlesbrough ( ), colloquially known as Boro, is a port town in the Borough of Middlesbrough, North Yorkshire, England. Lying to the south of the River Tees, Middlesbrough forms part of the Teesside Built up area, built-up area and the Tees Va ...

, along with news that

Henrique Hilário Henrique () may refer to: *Henry, Count of Portugal (1066–1112) * Henry I, King of Portugal (1512–1580) *Henry the Navigator (1394–1460), a royal prince and important figure in the early days of the Portuguese Empire People * Carlos Henri ...

has renewed his contract for two more years. * 03.07.09: Chelsea finalize a four-year deal for striker

Daniel Sturridge Daniel Andre Sturridge Johnson (born 1 September 1989) is an English former professional footballer who played as a striker. Since 2023, he has worked as a television pundit for Sky Sports. Sturridge was scouted by Aston Villa and played for ...

after his contract with

Manchester City Manchester City Football Club is a professional association football, football club based in Manchester, England, that competes in the Premier League, the English football league system, top flight of Football in England, English footbal ...

expires. * 07.07.09: Winger

Yuri Zhirkov Yuri Valentinovich Zhirkov ( rus, Ю́рий Валенти́нович Жирко́в, p=ˈjʉrʲɪj vəlʲɪnʲˈtʲinəvʲɪdʑ ʐɨrˈkof; born 20 August 1983) is a Russian former footballer who played as a left-back and as a left-winger. ...

signs for Chelsea from

CSKA Moscow CSKA Moscow () is a Russian sports club based in Moscow. It was created in 1911 in the Russian Empire on base of OLLS (Skiing Society, founded 1901). Later, during the Soviet Union, Soviet era, it was the central part of the Armed Forces (sports ...

on a four-year deal for a reported £18 million. * 27.07.09: Chelsea wins the inaugural

World Football Challenge The World Football Challenge was an international club association football Exhibition game, exhibition competition featuring club teams from Europe and North America, that was held from 2009 until 2012, when it was replaced by the International C ...

tournament, beating

Internazionale Football Club Internazionale Milano, commonly referred to as Internazionale () or simply Inter, and colloquially known as Inter Milan in English-speaking countries, is an Italian professional football club based in Milan, Lombardy. Since 1 ...

Milan Milan ( , , ; ) is a city in northern Italy, regional capital of Lombardy, the largest city in Italy by urban area and the List of cities in Italy, second-most-populous city proper in Italy after Rome. The city proper has a population of nea ...

, and América. * 28.07.09: Former Chelsea chairman

Brian Mears Joseph Brian Mears (25 April 1931 – 28 July 2009) was the chairman of Chelsea Football Club. He was the son of Joe Mears, also a chairman of Chelsea, and grandson of Joseph Mears, co-founder of the club. He was born in Richmond, Surrey, and e ...

passes away at the age of 78. * 04.08.09: Striker Franco Di Santo joins

Blackburn Rovers Blackburn Rovers Football Club is a professional football club based in Blackburn, Lancashire, England, which competes in the , the second level of the English football league system. They have played home matches at Ewood Park since 1890. Th ...

on loan until 1 January. * 06.08.09: Winger

Scott Sinclair Scott Andrew Sinclair (born 25 March 1989) is an English professional association football, footballer who plays as a Midfielder#Winger, winger. He represented England at youth level, from the England national under-17 football team, under-17s t ...

joins

Wigan Athletic Wigan Athletic Football Club is a professional association football club based in Wigan, Greater Manchester, England. The team competes in the EFL League One, the third level of the English football league system. Founded in 1932, they have p ...

on a season-long loan deal. * 09.08.09: With their first

penalty shootout The penalty shootout is a method of determining a winner in sports matches that would have otherwise been drawn or tied. The rules for penalty shootouts vary between sports and even different competitions; however, the usual form is similar to pe ...

win in over a decade, Chelsea secure the 2009 Community Shield following a 2–2 draw against

Manchester United Manchester United Football Club, commonly referred to as Man United (often stylised as Man Utd) or simply United, is a professional association football, football club based in Old Trafford (area), Old Trafford, Greater Manchester, Engl ...

in normal time. After United's Nani opens the scoring, goals by

Ricardo Carvalho Ricardo Alberto Silveira de Carvalho (; born 18 May 1978) is a Portuguese professional association football, football coach and former player who is currently assistant head coach of the Portugal national football team, Portugal national team ...

and

Frank Lampard Frank James Lampard (born 20 June 1978) is an English professional football manager and former player who is the manager of English club Coventry City. Widely regarded as one of the greatest midfielders of all time, one of Chelsea's greates ...

look to win the game for Chelsea until an injury-time equalizer by

Wayne Rooney Wayne Mark Rooney (born 24 October 1985) is an English professional Manager (association football), football manager and former Association football, player who was most recently the head coach of EFL Championship club Plymouth Argyle F.C., Pl ...

forces the game to penalties. Chelsea win the shootout 4–1. * 13.08.09:

Michael Mancienne Michael Ian Mancienne (born 8 January 1988) is a former professional footballer who played as a defender. Born in England, he played for the Seychelles national team. He played for football clubs in Germany, the United States, and England. Sc ...

signs a new four-year deal, keeping him at Chelsea until 2013, then signs on loan with

Wolverhampton Wanderers Wolverhampton Wanderers Football Club ( ), commonly referred to as Wolves, is a professional association football, football club based in Wolverhampton, England. The club competes in the Premier League, the top tier of English football league s ...

until the end of the season. * 15.08.09: Chelsea's Premier League campaign kicks off with a difficult 2–1 home victory over a defensively resolute

Hull City Hull City Association Football Club is a professional association football club based in Kingston upon Hull, East Riding of Yorkshire, England. They compete in the , the second level of the English football league system. They play their home ...

side. After ex-

Reading Reading is the process of taking in the sense or meaning of symbols, often specifically those of a written language, by means of Visual perception, sight or Somatosensory system, touch. For educators and researchers, reading is a multifacete ...

player Stephen Hunt scores against the run of play, a

Didier Drogba Didier Yves Drogba Tébily (; born 11 March 1978) is an Ivorian former professional association football, footballer who played as a striker (association football), striker. He is the Top international association football goal scorers by cou ...

free-kick makes things even. Although Chelsea dominate the second half of the game, Hull's tenacity and a lack of quality finishing make it look like the game will end a damaging draw for Chelsea, until Drogba's chipped cross in stoppage time loops over the head of Hull keeper

Boaz Myhill Glyn Oliver "Boaz" Myhill (born 9 November 1982; ) is a former professional footballer who played as a goalkeeper. He represented the Wales national team from 2008 to 2013. Born in the United States to an American father and Welsh mother, M ...

and serendipitously falls into the corner of the net. * 18.08.09: Chelsea sign young

Serbian Serbian may refer to: * Pertaining to Serbia in Southeast Europe; in particular **Serbs, a South Slavic ethnic group native to the Balkans ** Serbian language ** Serbian culture **Demographics of Serbia, includes other ethnic groups within the co ...

central midfielder In the sport of association football, a midfielder takes an Glossary of association football terms#O, outfield position primarily in the middle of the pitch. Midfielders may play an exclusively defensive role, breaking up attacks, and are in t ...

Nemanja Matić Nemanja Matić ( sr-Cyrl, Немања Матић, ; born 1 August 1988) is a Serbian professional Association football, footballer who plays as a defensive midfielder for Ligue 1 club Olympique Lyonnais, Lyon. Matić began his senior career at ...

from

MFK Košice MFK or mfk may refer to: * Movement for the Future of Curaçao, a political party in the island of Curaçao * Beigan Airport, an airport in Beigan, Taiwan, by IATA code * North Mofu language, a language spoken in northern Cameroon, by ISO 639 code ...

for a fee of £1.5 million. * 27.08.09: Chelsea are grouped with

Porto Porto (), also known in English language, English as Oporto, is the List of cities in Portugal, second largest city in Portugal, after Lisbon. It is the capital of the Porto District and one of the Iberian Peninsula's major urban areas. Porto c ...

Atlético Madrid Club Atlético de Madrid, S.A.D. (; meaning "Athletic Club of Madrid"), commonly referred to as Atlético Madrid or simply Atlético, is a Spanish professional football club based in Madrid that plays in La Liga. The club play their home game ...

and

APOEL APOEL FC (; short for Αθλητικός Ποδοσφαιρικός Όμιλος Ελλήνων Λευκωσίας, ''Athletikos Podosferikos Omilos Ellinon Lefkosias'', "Athletic Football Club of Greeks of Nicosia") is a Cypriot professio ...

in the

UEFA Champions League The UEFA Champions League (UCL) is an annual club association football competition organised by the UEFA, Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) that is contested by List of top-division football clubs in UEFA countries, top-divisio ...

group stage draw at the

Grimaldi Forum The Grimaldi Forum Monaco, inaugurated in 2000 and named after the historical reigning family of Monaco, the House of Grimaldi, is an international event venue located in the Larvotto ward of Monaco. It hosts approximately 120 events and sees ...

Monaco Monaco, officially the Principality of Monaco, is a Sovereign state, sovereign city-state and European microstates, microstate on the French Riviera a few kilometres west of the Regions of Italy, Italian region of Liguria, in Western Europe, ...

. During the ceremony,

John Terry John George Terry (born 7 December 1980) is an English professional Coach (association football), football coach and former Association football, player who played as a centre-back. He was previously captain of Chelsea F.C., Chelsea, the En ...

is awarded the UEFA Club Defender of the Year award. * 29.08.09: Chelsea claim first place in the Premier League for the first time this season with a 3–0 home win over

Burnley Burnley () is a town and the administrative centre of the wider Borough of Burnley in Lancashire, England, with a 2021 population of 78,266. It is north of Manchester and east of Preston, at the confluence of the River Calder and River B ...

. In a game characterised by Chelsea's dominance, after

Nicolas Anelka Nicolas Sébastien Anelka (born 14 March 1979) is a French professional Manager (association football), football manager and former Football player, player who played as a Forward (association football), forward. As a player, he regularly featur ...

breaks the deadlock from close range before half-time, a quick-fire double at the start of the second half via a

Michael Ballack Michael Ballack (; born 26 September 1976) is a German former professional footballer. He was selected by Pelé as one of FIFA's 100 Greatest Living Players, and as the UEFA Club Midfielder of the Year in 2002. He won the German Footballer of ...

header and an

Ashley Cole Ashley Cole (born 20 December 1980) is an English football coach and former player. As a player, he played as a left-back, most notably for Arsenal and Chelsea. Cole is considered by many critics and fellow professional players as one of the ...

volley secures a comfortable victory. During the match, Chelsea are paired with fellow Londoners

Queens Park Rangers Queens Park Rangers Football Club, commonly abbreviated to QPR, is a professional association football club based in Shepherd's Bush, West London, England. The team currently compete in the EFL Championship, the second level of the English f ...

in the League Cup third round draw. * 03.09.09: For inducing reserve player

Gaël Kakuta Gaël Romeo Kakuta Mambenga (born 21 June 1991) is a professional footballer who plays as a winger for TFF First League club Sakaryaspor. Born in France, he represents the DR Congo national team. A youth product of RC Lens, Kakuta moved to ...

into breaching his contract with his previous club

Lens A lens is a transmissive optical device that focuses or disperses a light beam by means of refraction. A simple lens consists of a single piece of transparent material, while a compound lens consists of several simple lenses (''elements'') ...

, FIFA ban Chelsea from signing any new players nationally or internationally until January 2011, and demand the club to pay Lens £113,500 training compensation. Kakuta is fined £680,000 and banned from playing officially for four months. * 15.09.09: After a hard-fought 2–1 win away against

Stoke City Stoke City Football Club is a professional association football club based in Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire, England. The team competes in the , the second level of the English football league system. Founded as Stoke Ramblers in 1863, the cl ...

in the Premier League, a lone Nicolas Anelka goal kicks off Chelsea's Champions League campaign with a tight 1–0 win in Group D over Porto. With mainstays Didier Drogba and

José Bosingwa José Bosingwa da Silva (born 24 August 1982) is a Portuguese former professional association football, footballer who played as a right-back. An attacking fullback, his pace and ability to get up and down the flanks created problems for the op ...

suspended for their protests in last year's semi-final, along with the difficulty caused by constant rainfall on the pitch, the Chelsea performance is unusually sloppy, but a solid performance by goalkeeper

Petr Čech Petr Čech (; born 20 May 1982) is a Czech former professional Association football, footballer who played as a Goalkeeper (association football), goalkeeper and current ice hockey player who plays as a goaltender for Oxford City Stars. He has ...

guides the team to victory. Atlético Madrid draw 0–0 at home with APOEL, leaving Chelsea two points clear at the top of the group after one game played. * 20.09.09: With a 3–0 win at home against London rivals

Tottenham Hotspur Tottenham Hotspur Football Club, commonly referred to as simply Tottenham (, , , ) or Spurs, is a professional Association football, football club based in Tottenham, North London, England. The club itself has stated that it should always ...

with goals from Ashley Cole, Michael Ballack and Didier Drogba, Chelsea set a new club record of 11 consecutive Premier League victories, surpassing the record of ten games set during the 2005–06 season. * 23.09.09: Chelsea kick off their League Cup challenge with a low-key 1–0 home victory over Queens Park Rangers in the

third round Third or 3rd may refer to: Numbers * 3rd, the ordinal form of the cardinal number 3 * , a fraction of one third * 1⁄60 of a ''second'', i.e., the third in a series of fractional parts in a sexagesimal number system Places * 3rd Street (di ...

Salomon Kalou Salomon Armand Magloire Kalou (born 5 August 1985) is an Ivorian former professional Association football, footballer who played as a Forward (association football), forward or Midfielder#Winger, winger. He started his career with local club AS ...

notches the only goal, set up by

Joe Cole Joseph John Cole (born 8 November 1981) is an English football coach and former professional footballer who played as an attacking midfielder or winger. He was long touted as a child prodigy and as the hottest prospect in English football, wi ...

in his first game since January. Yuri Zhirkov, Sam Hutchinson and

Fabio Borini Fabio Borini (born 29 March 1991) is an Italian professional Association football, footballer who plays as an attacking midfielder, Winger (association football), left winger or forward (association football), forward for Serie B club UC Sampdori ...

all make their first starts for the club. * 26.09.09: Although Didier Drogba scores his 100th Chelsea goal against Wigan Athletic to briefly equalise, Chelsea look strangely uninspired in a 1–3 loss at the

DW Stadium The Brick Community Stadium is a multi-use stadium in Robin Park in Wigan, Greater Manchester, England. It is used by Wigan Warriors rugby league club and Wigan Athletic F.C., Wigan Athletic association football, football club. The stadium is ...

, having gone down to ten men after Petr Čech's sending off six minutes after half time following a penalty-worthy challenge on

Hugo Rodallega Hugo Rodallega Martínez (born 25 July 1985) is a Colombian professional footballer who plays as a forward in the Colombia Categoría Primera A for Independiente Santa Fe. Rodallega started his professional career with Deportes Quindío in 20 ...

. Chelsea relinquish their Premier League lead to Manchester United, falling into second place on goals scored. * 04.10.09: In their first "Big Four" clash of the season, Chelsea edge a typically tight game at

Stamford Bridge Stamford Bridge may refer to: * Stamford Bridge, East Riding of Yorkshire, a village in England ** Battle of Stamford Bridge, 25 September 1066 * Stamford Bridge (bridge), a bridge in the village of Stamford Bridge * Stamford Bridge (stadium), in ...

with a 2–0 Premier League victory over title rivals

Liverpool Liverpool is a port City status in the United Kingdom, city and metropolitan borough in Merseyside, England. It is situated on the eastern side of the River Mersey, Mersey Estuary, near the Irish Sea, north-west of London. With a population ...

. Didier Drogba sets up both Chelsea goals from wide positions, first from the left for Nicolas Anelka, and then from the right for

Florent Malouda Florent Johan Malouda (born 13 June 1980) is a French football coach and former professional player who played as a left winger. Born in French Guiana, he represented both France and French Guiana at the international level. Malouda spent most ...

to seal the win in stoppage time. Henrique Hilário proves a solid deputy for the suspended Petr Čech, as the goalkeeper produces excellent saves from

Albert Riera Albert Riera Ortega (born 15 April 1982) is a Spanish professional Manager (association football), football manager and former player who is the manager of Slovenian PrvaLiga club NK Celje, Celje. He played as a winger (association football), ...

and

Steven Gerrard Steven George Gerrard MBE (born 30 May 1980) is an English professional football manager and a former player. Widely regarded as one of the greatest midfielders of all time and one of Liverpool's greatest ever players,Yossi Benayoun Yossi Shai Benayoun (; born 5 May 1980) is an Israeli former professional footballer who played as a midfielder. He spent most of his career in Israel and England and captained the Israel national team. Born in Dimona, he is sometimes nicknamed ...

towards the end of the game. Manchester United's fortuitous 2–2 draw with

Sunderland Sunderland () is a port City status in the United Kingdom, city and metropolitan borough in Tyne and Wear, England. It is a port at the mouth of the River Wear on the North Sea, approximately south-east of Newcastle upon Tyne. It is the most p ...

Old Trafford Old Trafford () is a football stadium in Old Trafford, Greater Manchester, England, and is the home of Manchester United. With a capacity of 74,197, it is the largest club football stadium (and second-largest football stadium overall after W ...

the day before means Chelsea return to the top of the league. * 17.10.09: Chelsea are beaten by

Aston Villa Aston Villa Football Club (commonly referred to as simply Villa) is a professional football club based in Aston, Birmingham, England. The club, founded in 1874, compete in the Premier League, the top tier of English football. The team have p ...

2–1 away at

Villa Park Villa Park is a association football, football stadium in Aston, Birmingham, with a seating capacity of 42,918. It has been the home of Premier League club Aston Villa F.C., Aston Villa since 1897. The ground is less than a mile from both Witt ...

. Following Didier Drogba's early strike, James Collins and Richard Dunne score the goals which inflict Chelsea's second successive away defeat under Carlo Ancelotti. * 24.10.09: Chelsea thrash Blackburn Rovers 5–0 at Stamford Bridge in their most emphatic Premier League victory so far this season, only a few days after humbling Atlético Madrid in the Champions League by one goal less.

enjoys a sparkling performance at the top of the midfield diamond in his first league start since January, with a Gaël Givet

own goal An own goal occurs in sports when a player performs actions that result in scoring points for the opposition, such as when a Association football, footballer puts a ball into their own net. In some parts of the world, the term has become a met ...

opening the scoring. A 30-yard

Michael Essien Michael Kojo Essien (born 3 December 1982) is a Ghanaian Association football, football coach and former player who is currently an assistant coach at Danish Superliga club FC Nordsjælland, Nordsjælland. During his prime he was regarded as on ...

drive sandwiches two goals by Frank Lampard, and Didier Drogba completes the rout with a simple header from a corner. The next day, Liverpool break their four-game losing streak with a 2–0 victory over Manchester United at

Anfield Anfield is a Association football, football stadium in the area of Anfield (suburb), Anfield, Liverpool, England, which has been the home of Liverpool F.C. since its formation in 1892. The stadium has a seating capacity of 61,276, making it the ...

. After losing their lead again the previous week, this result leaves Chelsea two points clear. * 4.11.09: Chelsea qualify for the Champions League knockout round after sharing the points in a 2–2 draw with Atlético Madrid at the

Vicente Calderón Stadium The Vicente Calderón Stadium ( ) was the home stadium of Atlético Madrid from its completion in 1966 to 2017, with a seating capacity of 54,907. It was located on the banks of the Manzanares, in the Arganzuela district of Madrid, Spain. The ...

that burst into life into the last ten minutes. After

Sergio Agüero Sergio Leonel Agüero del Castillo (born 2 June 1988), also known as Kun Agüero, is an Argentine former professional Association football, footballer who played as a Forward (association football)#Striker, striker. He is regarded as one of th ...

volleyed home midway through the second half, a quickfire double in the last ten minutes by the in-form Didier Drogba gives Chelsea a perhaps undeserved 2–1 lead, canceled out by an Agüero free-kick. * 8.11.09: Chelsea beat Manchester United 1–0 at Stamford Bridge in the Premier League in a typically tight contest, decided by John Terry's header from an inswinging Frank Lampard free-kick after

Darren Fletcher Darren Barr Fletcher (born 1 February 1984) is a Scottish football coach and former professional player who is currently serving as a first-team coach at Manchester United, where he spent the majority of his playing career and won 13 trophies i ...

was controversially judged to have bundled over Ashley Cole on the left-hand side. Despite arguably controlling the game with their 4–3–3 formation, a late rally by United could not salvage them a point against a resolute Chelsea defence. Chelsea increase their lead at the top of the league by five points while

Arsenal An arsenal is a place where arms and ammunition are made, maintained and repaired, stored, or issued, in any combination, whether privately or publicly owned. Arsenal and armoury (British English) or armory (American English) are mostly ...

leapfrog United into second place with a game in hand. * 22.11.09: Despite having key players like Frank Lampard, Michael Ballack and Didier Drogba missing through injury, Chelsea romp to a comfortable 4–0 victory at home to Wolves in the Premier League with goals from Florent Malouda, Joe Cole and two from a rampant Michael Essien. While Nemanja Matić makes his Chelsea debut from the bench, Gaël Kakuta also makes a flair-filled first appearance for the club. * 29.11.09: Chelsea continue their 100% record in " Big Four" matches this season with an emphatic 3–0 away win against Arsenal at the

Emirates Stadium The Emirates Stadium (known as Arsenal Stadium for UEFA competitions) is a association football, football stadium in Holloway, London, England. It has been the home stadium of Arsenal F.C., Arsenal Football Club since its completion in 2006. ...

in the Premier League. Two goals from Didier Drogba and an own goal from

Thomas Vermaelen Thomas Vermaelen (; born 14 November 1985) is a Belgian former professional footballer who played as a defender. Being left-footed, he usually played as a left-sided centre-back and could play at left-back as well. His key attributes included a ...

secure the victory, agreed by many to be the pinnacle of Chelsea's season thus far. * 16.12.09: Chelsea end their run of four straight games without a win in all competitions, which began with their

elimination by

Blackburn Blackburn () is an industrial town and the administrative centre of the Blackburn with Darwen borough in Lancashire, England. The town is north of the West Pennine Moors on the southern edge of the River Ribble, Ribble Valley, east of Preston ...

away in the League Cup fifth round, with a closely fought 2–1 victory over

Portsmouth Portsmouth ( ) is a port city status in the United Kingdom, city and unitary authority in Hampshire, England. Most of Portsmouth is located on Portsea Island, off the south coast of England in the Solent, making Portsmouth the only city in En ...

, led by former Chelsea manager

Avram Grant Avraham "Avram" Grant (; né Granat; born ) is an Israeli professional football manager who currently manages the Zambia national football team. He has spent the majority of his career coaching and managing in Israel, winning a number of nati ...

, at Stamford Bridge in the Premier League. After Nicolas Anelka scores from close-range in the first half, Portsmouth equalize early in the second when a Jamie O'Hara free kick ricochets off two players in the Chelsea wall, falling to

Frédéric Piquionne Frédéric Michel Piquionne (born 8 December 1978) is a French former professional association football, footballer who played as a Striker (association football), forward. Piquionne's former clubs are Golden Star (football club), Golden Star of ...

who slots home. This typifies Chelsea's recent problem of conceding from set-pieces. The game is won ten minutes from time when Frank Lampard converts the

penalty kick A penalty shot or penalty kick is a play used in several sports whereby a goal is attempted during untimed play. Depending on the sport, when a player commits certain types of penalties, the opposition is awarded a penalty shot or kick attempt. ...

conceded when Marc Wilson takes out

Branislav Ivanović Branislav Ivanović ( sr-Cyrl, Бранислав Ивановић, ; born 22 February 1984) is a Serbian former professional Association football, footballer. A versatile defender, Ivanović played as a Defender (association football)#Full-back ...

in the Portsmouth area. * 04.01.10: Having ended December with two away draws against

West Ham United West Ham United Football Club is a professional Association football, football club based in Stratford, London, Stratford, East London, England. The club competes in the Premier League, the top tier of English football league system, English f ...

and

Birmingham Birmingham ( ) is a City status in the United Kingdom, city and metropolitan borough in the metropolitan county of West Midlands (county), West Midlands, within the wider West Midlands (region), West Midlands region, in England. It is the Lis ...

and a tense 2–1 home victory against

Fulham Fulham () is an area of the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham in West London, England, southwest of Charing Cross. It lies in a loop on the north bank of the River Thames, bordering Hammersmith, Kensington and Chelsea, London, Chelsea ...

in the

west London derby The West London derby is the name given to a football derby played between any two of Brentford, Chelsea, Fulham and Queens Park Rangers, all of whom are situated within West London. This particular derby is less prominent than other such derb ...

, Chelsea begin the New Year in style with a 5–0 home demolition of

Watford Watford () is a town and non-metropolitan district with Borough status in the United Kingdom, borough status in Hertfordshire, England, northwest of Central London, on the banks of the River Colne, Hertfordshire, River Colne. Initially a smal ...

in the FA Cup third round, despite losing their African players to the

African Cup of Nations The Africa Cup of Nations, commonly abbreviated as AFCON and officially known as the TotalEnergies Africa Cup of Nations for sponsorship reasons, is the main biennial international men's association football competition in Africa. It is s ...

. While Daniel Sturridge scores his first two goals for the club, Chelsea also score via a Florent Malouda deflection, a

John Eustace John Mark Eustace (born 3 November 1979) is an English professional football coach and former player who is currently head coach of club Derby County. During his playing career, he played as a central midfielder for Coventry City, Stoke City, ...

and a trademark Frank Lampard piledriver. * 28.01.10: Chelsea end January on a high after winning all five matches in the month, demolishing

7–2 at Stamford Bridge in the Premier League. Following that, they continue to score with a 3–0 win at home over Birmingham before a laboured 2–1 win away at

, with John Terry scoring a late header to win the game amidst his affair scandal. They also progress in the FA Cup thanks to a 2–0 win away at

Preston North End Preston North End Football Club, commonly referred to as Preston, North End or PNE, is a professional association football club in Preston, Lancashire, England. They currently play in the EFL Championship, the second level of the English footbal ...

. * 02.02.10: Despite an excellent January, February does not start well with Chelsea succumbing to a 1–1 draw at Hull City. Didier Drogba equalises for Chelsea late in the first-half with a free-kick after Hull's Steven Mouyokolo gave the home side the lead with a header from a corner. Chelsea go two points clear of Manchester United but missed a chance to go four points clear after failing to win their game in hand. * 04.02.10: FIFA's suspended transfer ban on Chelsea regarding the Gaël Kakuta tapping-up case is lifted by the

Court of Arbitration for Sport The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS; , TAS) is an international body established in 1984 to settle disputes related to sport through arbitration. Its headquarters are in Lausanne, Switzerland, and its courts are located in New York City, Sy ...

, along with all other sanctions. * 27.02.10: Chelsea lose at home for the first time in the Premier League under Carlo Ancelotti as Manchester City win 4–2. The game is given extra spice as it is the first time that John Terry and

Wayne Bridge Wayne Michael Bridge (born 5 August 1980) is an English former professional footballer who played as a left back. A graduate of the Southampton academy, he made his debut in 1998 and would go on to make over 150 league appearances in Premier L ...

have come together following allegations of Terry's affair with Bridge's girlfriend

Vanessa Perroncel Wayne Michael Bridge (born 5 August 1980) is an English former professional association football, footballer who played as a left back. A graduate of the Southampton F.C., Southampton academy, he made his debut in 1998 and would go on to make ...

, which leads to him rejecting Terry's outstretched hand in the pre-match handshake. Frank Lampard opens and closes the scoring, but braces from

Carlos Tevez Carlos Alberto Tevez (; né Martínez; born 5 February 1984) is an Argentine professional Manager (association football), football manager and former Football player, player. A dynamic forward (association football), forward in his prime, Tevez ...

and

Craig Bellamy Craig Douglas Bellamy (born 13 July 1979) is a Welsh football coach and former professional association football, footballer who played as a Forward (association football), forward. He is the current Football coach (association football), head ...

in between are enough to secure a Manchester City victory. * 16.03.10: Chelsea are eliminated from the Champions League before the semi-finals for the first time in four years as a 3–1 aggregate loss to Internazionale in the first knockout round sees them crash out of the tournament. A 2–1 defeat at the

San Siro San Siro is a football stadium in the San Siro district of Milan, Italy. It has a seating capacity of 75,817, making it the largest stadium in Italy and one of the largest stadiums in Europe. It is the home stadium of the city's principal ...

on 24.02.10 is compounded by a 1–0 loss at home in the second leg, with

Samuel Eto'o Samuel Eto'o Fils (; born 10 March 1981) is a Cameroonian Association football, football administrator and former Football player, player who is the current president of the Cameroonian Football Federation. He is often regarded as one of the ...

scoring the only goal. The match marks Mourinho's first return to Stamford Bridge as an opposition manager since his departure from Chelsea in September 2007. * 21.03.10: Chelsea complete a disappointing week with a draw to Blackburn at

Ewood Park Ewood Park () is a Association football, football stadium in Blackburn, Lancashire, England, and the home of Blackburn Rovers F.C., founding members of the English Football League, Football League and Premier League, who have played there since ...

in the

. After Didier Drogba opens the scoring early on, the game looks to yield a comfortable victory for Chelsea, but a game-ending injury to Branislav Ivanovic proves costly as

El Hadji Diouf El Hadji Ousseynou Diouf (; born 15 January 1981) is a Senegalese former professional footballer. Throughout his career, Diouf played as a winger or a forward. Having started his professional football career in France with Sochaux, Rennes a ...

equalises with twenty minutes to play, beating substitute

right back In the sport of association football, a defender is an Glossary of association football terms#O, outfield player whose primary role is to stop attacks during the game and prevent the opposition from scoring. Defenders fall into four main categ ...

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to a header at the far post. The result sees them slip to third place, four points behind Manchester United with a game in hand. * 27.03.10: After bouncing straight back with a 5–0 victory against Portsmouth at

Fratton Park Fratton Park is a association football, football ground in Portsmouth, Hampshire, England, and is the home of Portsmouth F.C., Portsmouth Football Club. Fratton Park's location on Portsea Island is unique in English professional football, as it ...

in midweek, Chelsea complete their recovery from the previous week by recording their biggest win of the season with a 7–1 thrashing of Aston Villa at Stamford Bridge. In a game that sees John Terry captain the side for a record 325th time, Frank Lampard scores four times for the second time in his Chelsea career, moving him into third place in the list of Chelsea's all-time highest scorers with 151 goals, above both

Peter Osgood Peter Leslie Osgood (20 February 1947 – 1 March 2006) was an English footballer who was active during the 1960s and 1970s. He is best remembered for representing Chelsea and Southampton as a forward at club level, winning the FA Cup with eac ...

and

Roy Bentley Roy Thomas Frank Bentley (17 May 1924 – 20 April 2018) was an English football player and manager. A former forward, Bentley played 367 games for Chelsea and captained the club to their first League Championship in the 1954–55 season. ...

. Florent Malouda also nets a brace and Salomon Kalou scores his first Premier League goal of the season. * 03.04.10: Chelsea gain a crucial victory in the Premier League title race by defeating top-of-the-table Manchester United 2–1 at Old Trafford, returning to first place by two points with five games to play. The victory ensures that Chelsea maintain their 100% record in "Big Four" matches this season. After Joe Cole caps off a comfortable Chelsea first half with a clever near-post back-heel from Florent Malouda's cross to open the scoring, United begin to gain a foothold in the game in the second half. Didier Drogba comes off the bench to score the winning goal late on from an offside position, but

Federico Macheda Federico Macheda (; born 22 August 1991) is an Italian professional footballer who plays as a striker for Super League Greece club Asteras Tripolis. Born in Rome, Macheda began his career with local club Lazio, but joined Manchester United whe ...

's disputedly handball goal for United minutes later sets up a nervy finish. In a game marked by a poor performance by referee Mike Dean, ignoring plausible penalty shouts by both sides, Chelsea hold on for three emphatic points. * 10.04.10: Chelsea defeat Aston Villa at Wembley in the FA Cup semi-final to book a place in their third FA Cup Final in four years. After referee

Howard Webb Howard Melton Webb MBE (born 14 July 1971) is an English former professional football referee who officiated primarily in the Premier League from 2003 to 2014, as well as for FIFA as a FIFA international referee from 2005 to 2014. Webb is ...

turns down a strong penalty appeal from Gabriel Agbonlahor in the first half following a trip from

Mikel John Obi Mikel John Obi (born John Michael Nchekwube Obinna; 22 April 1987), also known as John Obi Mikel, is a Nigerian former professional footballer who played as a defensive midfielder. Mikel began his career with local club Plateau United, before ...

, Didier Drogba, Florent Malouda and Frank Lampard score in the second half to secure a 3–0 victory. * 17.04.10: A 2–1 loss to Tottenham sees Chelsea's lead in the Premier League cut to one point, with Manchester United securing a late winner against Manchester City. Despite losing, Chelsea become the first English team to qualify for the

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. * 24.04.10: Chelsea defeat Stoke City 7–0 at Stamford Bridge to record their biggest home win of the season thus far. Salomon Kalou scores his first

hat-trick A hat-trick or hat trick is the achievement of a generally positive feat three times in a match, or another achievement based on the number three. Origin The term first appeared in 1858 in cricket, to describe H. H. Stephenson taking three Wick ...

in English football, and a brace from Frank Lampard, coupled with goals from Florent Malouda and Daniel Sturridge, ensure the Blues cruise comfortable. * 02.05.10: Chelsea defeat Liverpool 2–0 at Anfield in the penultimate week of the season. Didier Drogba opens the scoring following a sloppy backpass from Steven Gerrard in the first half, and Frank Lampard doubles the lead after the interval. The win ensures that Chelsea end their season with a 100% record against "Big Four" opponents, and means that victory over Wigan on the final day of the season will guarantee Premier League success. * 06.05.10: Chelsea's Player of the Year Award goes to Didier Drogba, who claims the gong for the first time in his Chelsea career. Florent Malouda picks up the Samsung Players' Player Award, while the Young Player of the Year is awarded to the entire Chelsea U18 team after their triumph in the FA Cup Youth Final. Ashley Cole's goal against Sunderland earns him the Goal of the Season Award. * 09.05.10: Chelsea trounce Wigan 8–0 in their final game of the season, setting a new club record for their biggest ever League win in the process as well as breaking numerous scoring records. They end the league campaign having scored 103 goals, the most in the club's history, the first Premier League side to score 100 goals in a season and the first team since Tottenham in 1961 to score 100 goals in the top flight. They also become the first team in English football history to score seven goals or more in a game on four occasions in a league season. They also finish with an English record goal difference of +71, beating Liverpool's +69 set in 1979. Didier Drogba's second half hat-trick ensures he finishes the season with the Premier League Golden Boot, having scored 29 goals, three more than the 26 scored by second-placed Wayne Rooney. Nicolas Anelka bags a brace while Frank Lampard, Salomon Kalou and Ashley Cole grab the other goals. Most significantly, the win means that Chelsea finish the season as Premier League champions with a total of 86 points, one point more than Manchester United, who finish runners-up. * 15.05.10: In their final game of the season, Chelsea face relegated Portsmouth in an entertaining

2010 FA Cup Final The 2010 FA Cup final was the 129th final of the FA Cup, the world's oldest domestic football cup competition. The match took place on 15 May 2010, at Wembley Stadium, London, in front of a crowd of over 88,000 and a British television audience ...

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. Despite their stark difference in position in the end-of-season table and extended Chelsea pressure, with Chelsea hitting the woodwork five times in the first half, the two sides go in level at half-time. Soon after Portsmouth's

Kevin-Prince Boateng Kevin-Prince Boateng (; born 6 March 1987) is a former professional footballer who played as a midfielder or forward. Born in Germany, he played for the Ghana national team. Coming through the youth system, Boateng began his career at Hertha B ...

's penalty is saved by Petr Čech early in the second half, Chelsea finally make their pressure count when Didier Drogba fires in a 59th minute free-kick, his 37th goal of the season. Although Frank Lampard uncharacteristically squanders a penalty of his own late on, Chelsea remain superior, the game eventually ending 1–0. Chelsea consequently end their season as only the seventh club to complete the Double, making it the most successful season in Chelsea history.

Squad

First team squad

Reserve squad

Youth squad

UEFA Champions League squad

Club

Coaching staff

Notes: * ''* = Player is no longer with the club but still made an appearance during the season.''

Top scorers

Includes all competitive matches. The list is sorted by shirt number when total goals are equal.

Disciplinary record

Includes all competitive matches. Players with 1 card or more included only.

Overall

{, class="wikitable" , - , Games played , , 55 (38

, 8

, 3

Football League Cup The English Football League Cup, often referred to as the League Cup and currently known as the Carabao Cup for sponsorship reasons, is an annual Single-elimination tournament, knockout competition in men's domestic football in England. Orga ...

, 6

) , - , Games won , , 39 (27

, 4

, 2

, 6

) , - , Games drawn , , 7 (5

, 2

) , - , Games lost , , 9 (6

, 2

, 1

) , - , Goals scored , , 142 , - , Goals conceded , , 44 , - , Goal difference , , +98 , - , Clean sheets , , 29 , - , Yellow cards , , 82 , - , Red cards , , 6 , - , Worst discipline , ,

(11 , 1 ) , - , Best result(s) , , 8–0 (H) v Wigan Athletic –

– 9 May 2010 , - , rowspan="2", Worst result(s) , , 2–4 (H) v Manchester City –

– 27 February 2010 , - , 3–1 (A) v

–

– 23 September 2009 , - , Most appearances , ,

with 51 appearances , - , Top scorer , ,

(37 goals) , - , Points , , 124/165 (75.15%) , -