As build-up begins for Monday night’s FA Cup match against Manchester United, both teams are already engaging in a bit of official media banter. There was part one of Chelsea’s official preview (Rick Glanvill, this your work?) that poked fun at United’s Hiddink-esque unbeaten run in the Premier League, while United responded by adopting Mourinho’s style when discussing the differences between the fixture list of the two teams.
Chelsea's media team having some banter at Manchester United's expense pic.twitter.com/o8Qt8chA1G
— Man Like Robbie (@MLRobbie) March 10, 2017
But beyond all that sideshow, there’s a fun little fact mentioned in Chelsea’s preview as well. If Chelsea beat Manchester United on Monday, we will have set a new record for most consecutive home wins in all competitions with 13. The current record is 12, achieved three times now, all in the last ten years.
The first streak started under Guus Hiddink’s interim management in May of 2009 and lasted all the way into early December in Carlo Ancelotti’s first season. Rather unbelievably, it was a 2-2 draw against APOEL Nicosia of all teams that ended the streak in the final group stage match of that season’s Champions League. Incidentally, we would not win another match in the Champions League that season, as we would face Mourinho’s Inter Milan in the first knockout round.
And speaking of the man himself, it was under Mourinho’s guidance just a little over two years ago that we set another 12-match win streak, from September 2014 to January 2015. This one had a rather ignominious end as well as Chelsea contrived to lose 4-2 to lower league Bradford City despite leading 2-0 at one point. It would prove to be our one and only loss at home that season in any competition.
And so, here we stand again on the cusp. Twelve wins behind us, starting with the 3-0 win in mid-October over Leicester City in the second game of the 3-4-3 era. Thirty-eight goals scored. Six goals conceded. Only two of the wins have not been by at least a two-goal margin, and those were both back at the start of winter (2-1 vs. Spurs, 1-0 vs. WBA).
Can Chelsea do it and set a new club record for most consecutive home wins in all competitions? Well, do we feel lucky?
