The Premier League is often considered to be the most difficult domestic league to win. Many great teams have come close to capturing the championship but failed to do so, spending years trying. Very few people have been able to come in and raise the crown on their first attempt. However, there are a few names that have the distinction of being one of just four people to become English champions in their first season on the pitch, a club that current Liverpool manager Arne Slot appears likely to join. However, as the trip of the four men in issue has demonstrated, they cannot remain at that level indefinitely.

A 1-0 victory over Manchester United on the first day set the tone for the season. Chelsea completed with a record 95 points, conceding only 15 goals and holding 25 clean sheets, a mark that has not been surpassed since. The ‘Special One’ would go on to win one more trophy during his initial time at Stamford Bridge, before adding a third in the mid-2010s.

After less successful stints at Manchester United and Tottenham, as well as a return to Italy with Roma, Mourinho is now in Turkey with Fenerbahce, where he is involved in a prospective lawsuit with rivals Galatasaray.

Carlo Ancelotti
Chelsea (2009-2010)

Chelsea’s management merry-go-round can have both positive and negative outcomes. Carlo Ancelotti’s appointment undoubtedly falls into the former category. The Italian unleashed an offensive force that smashed new records, including the most goals in a season (103) and the biggest goal differential (+71). Chelsea won both the Premier League and the FA Cup during his first season.
Following his expulsion from West London, the former AC Milan coach went on to manage Real Madrid and Paris Saint-Germain to local and European success. He did return to England briefly, attempting to resuscitate Everton as a European football contender, but was unsuccessful. When the opportunity to return to the Bernabeu presented itself, he jumped at it, adding two more European Cups to his trophy cabinet after returning to the Spanish capital, establishing his position as one of the greatest managers of all time.

Manuel Pellegrini
Manchester City (2013-2014)

Roberto Mancini led Manchester City to their first Premier League title in his second season, but he left after a dismal defence of the crown. After Sir Alex Ferguson’s retirement in 2013, Manuel Pellegrini took charge and led City back to the top of the table in a dramatic title chase against Liverpool. In many ways, the Chilean was handed his winners’ medal rather than earned it, as Steven Gerrard and his team had a lot to lose before giving up at the last hurdle. Surprisingly, this is Pellegrini’s lone domestic league title in Europe, and despite being replaced by Pep Guardiola, he has yet to reach that level.

The 71-year-old spent a brief period in China before returning to England as manager of West Ham, where he remained for just over a year. He now works for Real Betis, a position he has held since 2020, and is currently the manager of Manchester United loanee Antony.

Antonio Conte
Chelsea (2016-2017)

Conte took advantage of this, perfecting a tactical 3-4-2-1 formation that was extremely successful in his first year. A 13-match winning streak from October to December effectively sealed the title before Christmas. When it came time for him to leave the club, he would get the highest managing remuneration ever. Conte now finds himself in a similar predicament at Napoli, inheriting a group that has previously won the title but has since underperformed. It’s no surprise that he quickly revived them, putting them back on pace for success.