How Many Times Have Chelsea Won the Premier League?

Throughout their illustrious history, Chelsea Football Club have won a total of six English league titles, made up of five Premier Leagues and a singular First Division title. They are therefore the eighth-most successful English team of all time in terms of top-flight titles garnered.

However, the majority of Chelsea’s success has come during the Premier League era, and their tally of five makes them the third-most successful team of the period, behind Manchester United and recent champions, Manchester City.

What Years Did Chelsea Win the Premier League?

Anybody with a reasonable knowledge of Premier League football will know that it all changed for the Pensioners when Roman Abramovich’s money came into the club. Many Chelsea fans will care not a jot that their success has come thanks to the ill-gotten gains of an oligarch who has been viewed as a friend of Vladimir Putin. Politics to one side, let’s take a look at their EPL successes.

2004/05

For the 2004/05 season, Jose Mourinho arrived in England for the first time, having just pulled off the incredible feat of winning the Champions League with Porto. It would be unfair to call the Portuguese outfit minnows but Porto’s budget was certainly dwarfed by that of other clubs in the competition.

Chelsea’s self-styled Special One took over as Chelsea boss and immediately was able to steer them to a first league title in 50 years, breaking numerous records in the process. The Blues set the record for most clean sheets in a season, with 25, and also set the record for least goals conceded, only letting in 15 in 38 games, an astounding record that remains unbeaten.

This was testament to the defensive excellence of Mourinho’s side, led by the seemingly impenetrable centre-back pairing of John Terry and Ricardo Carvalho, who provided cover for Petr Cech, who was almost unbeatable throughout the entire campaign. The West London giants only lost one league game all season, as they were defeated 1-0 by Man City in April, which prevented them from matching the feat of going “invincible”, as Arsenal had in the season prior.

Backed by the investment of Russian billionaire owner, Roman Abramovich, Chelsea were able to spend big in the transfer market, signing five players for fees of over £10 million each (you know, back when £10m was a lot of money!). These included Didier Drogba and Carvalho, with the former going on to become one of the greatest Premier League strikers of all time. The 2004/05 season can be seen as ending the Ferguson-Wenger era, as Chelsea announced themselves as the new kids on the block. But could they repeat it?

2005/06

The Blues immediately doubled their Premier League tally, romping to a second consecutive title under Mourinho in the 2005/06 campaign. Frank Lampard once again starred from midfield, scoring 16 league goals as Chelsea began their title defence in stunning style. Chelsea won their first nine games, which remains the record, and their excellent form did not stop there. Of their first 22 games, the Blues were victorious in 20, showing remarkable consistency under the Portuguese boss.

The club finished the season unbeaten at home, clinching the Premier League title at Stamford Bridge on 29th April 2006 with a 3-0 victory over Man Utd. Abramovich had once again been instrumental in the club’s continued success, as the Blues signed Shaun Wright-Phillips and Michael Essien for a combined £45 million, with the latter going on to cement himself as a key player at the heart of Chelsea’s midfield, and Wright-Phillips becoming an England regular during his period at the club.

2009/10

• Points Tally: 86
• Manager: Carlo Ancelotti
• Top Scorer: Didier Drogba (29)

After back-to-back titles under Mourinho, it took four seasons before the Blues were able to regain the Premier League trophy, this time under Italian boss Carlo Ancelotti, who transformed the club after a brief period where they were not as successful as their owner demanded. Whilst Mourinho’s side had been famous for keeping goals out, Ancelotti’s Chelsea were famous for scoring them, breaking the record for most goals in a Premier League season, as they netted a monumental 103 times over the course of the campaign.

Chelsea stormed to the title with 86 points and a record-breaking goal difference of +76. Under Ancelotti, Ivorian talisman Drogba came into his own, scoring 29 goals in 32 games and claiming the golden boot, backed up by the incredibly consistent Lampard, who managed 22 strikes in the league. The 2009/10 season also saw the Blues achieve the domestic league and FA Cup double for the first time, as they beat Portsmouth 1-0 in the FA Cup final, marking an enormously successful year for the club. “Don Carlo” transformed Chelsea into a force to be reckoned with, as they cemented themselves as a core member of the new “big six”.

2014/15

The 2014/15 season was a dream for Jose Mourinho in the second season of his second spell as Blues boss. Having finished third the season prior, Chelsea continued to progress under his management, as he once again formed a solid defensive unit, led by long-serving captain John Terry.

In this era, Terry was partnered by Gary Cahill, and the rest of the tried and trusted back four was made up of the rugged Branislav Ivanovic and Spaniard Cesar Azpilicueta. Chelsea were only defeated three times all season, and never dropped below the top of the table after winning their first game. Recent signing Diego Costa, who arrived in the summer from Atletico Madrid for £32 million, was an instant hit, scoring 20 league goals in 23 games, bullying Premier League defenders for fun. Chelsea clinched the title on 3rd May 2015, after beating Crystal Palace 1-0 at Stamford Bridge, adding a fourth Premier League trophy to the cabinet.

2016/17

After a disappointing 2015/16 campaign, Chelsea were without any European football for the first time since 1996/97, and Jose Mourinho was sacked for a second time. This allowed Chelsea, now under charismatic Italian bossAntonio Conte, to solely focus on the league for the 2016/17 season.

The Blues dominated the Premier League, winning 30 league games, a new record, and racking up 93 points. Their fifth and final, so far, Premier League title was clinched on 12th May 2017, as the Pensioners beat West Brom 1-0 at the Hawthorns. This was John Terry’s final season as a Chelsea player, and his fifth title win for the club.

Meanwhile, combative forward Costa continued his excellent scoring record for the Blues, netting 20 league goals, with the impressive Eden Hazard not far behind with 16. Chelsea’s big money signings had continued, with N’Golo Kante, Marcos Alonso and David Luiz all brought in during the summer window, allowing Conte to build a well-oiled machine of a team that typically operated in his highly successful 3-4-3 system.

What Year Did Chelsea Win the First Division?

Chelsea’s only First Division title came way back in the 1954/55 season, which was their 50th year as a competitive football club. This monumental success was completely unexpected: the Blues hadn’t finished above eighth since the Second World War and had never previously won a major trophy.

Not only this, but by October, the club sat in 12th, having lost four games in a row. However, under the management of Ted Drake, the Blues’ fortunes changed, and they went on a fantastic run, only losing three of the remaining 26 matches in their quest for the title, including a 10-game unbeaten streak. Roy Bentley was star man as they clinched the title, scoring 21 times in the league. To many, this seems like a bit of a fluke, especially considering that it took Chelsea another 50 years to win a second league title, at which point they had benefitted from the investment of Abramovich. Anyway, don’t tell Chelsea fans that.

Are Chelsea Likely to Win the Premier League Again?

Thomas Tuchel’s Chelsea finished third in the most recently completed season (2021/22), with a tally of 74 points, some 18 fewer than Liverpool in second place. The club would therefore have to progress significantly in order to challenge for next year’s title, especially considering that both Liverpool and Man City have strengthened their squads during the transfer window. Those two certainly look cut above for the time being.

However, if Chelsea are to make some shrewd purchases in the transfer market, and they are continually linked with Raheem Sterling and even Cristiano Ronaldo at the time of writing, under new owner Todd Boehly, they are definitely in with a chance of winning next year’s Premier League.

They aren’t favourites though, especially given that they are currently without a number nine, last summer’s marquee signing Romelu Lukaku having returned to Italy on loan. However, Chelsea certainly have the financial clout, even without Abramovich, to mix it with the best and it would be somewhat of a surprise if the Blues were not once again hoisting the PL trophy aloft in the relatively near future.