The Special One Returns to Chelsea
This week, José Mourinho made a return to Stamford Bridge, a place where he solidified his status as one of the greatest managers in football history. However, the visit ended in disappointment as Chelsea handed him a 1-0 defeat with their victory over Benfica in the Champions League group stage.
Mourinho, who last month resumed his journey at the club where his managerial career took off, is renowned for his achievements at Portuguese rivals, where he clinched back-to-back European titles. This success led him to the English Premier League in 2004 with Chelsea. During his first press conference, he famously dubbed himself the ‘Special One’ and reiterated his loyalty to the club by declaring, “I’ll always be a blue,” during his recent media appearances. After his return to Stamford Bridge, we examined the managers with the best home records in the Premier League era at a single club across all competitions.
Top Home Records of Premier League Managers
Since the Premier League was rebranded in 1992, Arne Slot holds the record for the best home performance among managers, having led Liverpool at Anfield for 33 matches and accumulating 82 points, averaging 2.48 points per game (ppg). His record narrowly surpasses that of Pep Guardiola, whose Manchester City tenure at the Etihad averages 2.47 ppg.
The graphic above showcases that five Chelsea managers appear in the top ten list, with Antonio Conte edging past Mourinho. Conte achieved an impressive average of 2.38 ppg during his time at Stamford Bridge, slightly higher than Mourinho’s 2.36 ppg. Surprisingly, Sir Alex Ferguson ranks sixth with an average of 2.37 ppg, despite his remarkable success at Old Trafford, where he led Manchester United to a record 13 Premier League titles.
