Last weekend’s 4-0 destruction of Everton had many different highlights; the performance of Billy Gilmour, Willian and Mason Mount finding the score sheet and Premier League debuts for Tino Anjaarin and Armando Broja to name just a few.
But the most heartwarming moment happened before kick off, when Stamford Bridge welcomed Carlo Ancelotti back home.
The Italian was Chelsea manager between 2009 and 2011, where he became the first manager in our history to win the double.
Ancelotti holds a special place in my heart, he’s what I would call my ‘coming of age’ manager. I turned 18-years-old in the summer of 2009 and spent my first year legally drinking watching the most attacking team of my lifetime.
It was a glorious time to be a Chelsea supporter, watching a team finally start to absolutely demolish teams after a few years of going 1-0 up and shut up shop.
One game in particular stands out for me, Wigan Athletic at home to secure the Premier League title in 2010.
Ancelotti’s free scoring team would end the season having scored over 100 goals and had already scored 7 against Sunderland, Aston Villa and Stoke City.
I had £5 on Chelsea to win 7-0, and when Didier Drogba put the seventh goal in on the 80th minute, I thought my 50/1 shot was coming in.
Chelsea though, didn’t get the memo and continued peppering the Wigan box time and time again. I was the only person in the Matthew Harding end celebrating a Wigan clearance.
We made it all the way to injury time, I could almost taste the money, when who should pop up and score the 8th goal? No, not Drogba, not Nicolas Anelka, not Frank Lampard, not Michael Ballack or Florent Malouda but Ashley Cole!
I slumped in my seat as everyone else jumped to celebrate. To this day I’ve never forgiven Ashley.
The presentation of another Premier League trophy soon healed the pain and the fact I could legally drink to celebrate made it taste all the sweeter.
Carlo’s reign ended the following season, sacked in the tunnel, ironically, at Goodison Park, after Chelsea finished had runners up in the league.
There were other mitigating factors that led to his dismissal, mainly poor showings in the Champions League where a former Chelsea manager, dumped Chelsea out with Inter Milan.
And the unexplained departure of Ray Wilkins a few months into the 2010/2011 season, which seemingly spelt the end for Carlo as he admitted the decision was entirely the clubs.
However, Chelsea supporters and the board since that fateful day in 2011, have always held Carlo in the highest regard and he has been a regular visitor in Roman Abramovich’s box in recent years.
To see him back in the league is fantastic, and Everton’s start under him (excluding Sunday) shows that he’s still got so much to offer and Everton are in good hands.
Dean is the author of ‘Cult Fiction- how a year under Sarri almost tore Chelsea apart’ available on Amazon now amzn.to/2T7v5Tu
