After securing Champions League football on the final game the season before, the future looked bright for the Blues.
Roman Abramovich had recently purchased the club plying its trade at Stamford Bridge.
Right from the get-go, the Russian owner backed the Portuguese manager.
The perfect summer window
In the summer of 04, Chelsea signed Didier Drogba, Petr Cech, Paulo Ferreira, Ricardo Carvalho and Arjen Robben.
Not only was it a statement of intent by the team, but it was a statement of intent from the whole club. It was a message to the rest of the Premier League, saying that the Blues were here to take over English football.
Mourinho's men followed that sensational win against United with an away win at Birmingham.
On the 30th of October, the Blues travelled to West Brom. An impressive 4:1 win gave Chelsea fans hope that this could be the year that the Blues will win their first league title in over fifty years.
Week in, week out, Mourinho had his set team and his set tactics but teams had no answer for the Blues' approach. Right from gameday one, Chelsea played without fear and with had the hunger to win. A lot of the credit should go to Mourinho, who drilled that winning mentality into the squad from the first day he arrived.
News records and a league title
The team were ruthless going forward, but it was the defence that stood out. Chelsea broke the Premier League record for the fewest amount of goals in that season, with just 15.
A 2:0 win away to Bolton in April secured Chelsea's title win with just three games to play. The Blues went on to finish twelve points clear ahead of second-placed Arsenal.
Not only did Mourinho's side endure a pitch-perfect season in the league, but they excelled in the domestic competition. The Blues defeated Liverpool 3:2 in the League Cup final and also reached the Champions League semi-final for the first time in the club's history.
So, cast your minds back to the 15 of August 2004, the day Chelsea became a force to be reckoned with. Regardless of what age you were, any Chelsea fan will remember that game with United. It kind of paved the way for future success and we're all so grateful for how big this club became.
