1. Beverly Hills Hotel

In the grand setting of the Rodeo room of Los Angeles’ Beverly Hills Hotel Jose Mourinho issued a veiled threat to Avram Grant following the first day of pre-season training, warning he would not tolerate any interference in first team affairs from the club’s newly-appointed director of football. “From my point of view it won’t interfere with the power I have in relation to my job,” Mourinho said, drawing lines in the sand for a power battle he was to dramatically lose in the less than 10 weeks.

The Special One was soon to learn he was not untouchable after all.

2. Community Shield

The tone of a remarkable season was set by a tense Charity Shield in which Manchester United and Chelsea had to be separated by a penalty shoot-out, summing up much of what was to follow. United triumphed 3-0 on penalties to make up for their FA Cup final defeat three months earlier, though Chelsea are not easily subdued as they were soon to demonstrate.

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3. Roman leaves Villa Park

Roman Abramovich stormed out of the Villa Park directors’ box in a huff after Gabriel Agbonolahor’s late goal had given the home side a shock 2-0 victory, revealing his impatience and frustration following a mediocre start to the season.

It was clear at that point that despite successful peace in the summer much tension remained in the relationship between Abramovich and Mourinho, but no-one expected it to implode so spectacularly within such a short space of time.

4. Mourinho eggs rant

Following a disappointing home draw with Blackburn Rovers further evidence of internal problems was provided by a classic Mourinho rant on the eve of Chelsea’s first Champions League match of the season against Rosenborg, in which he compared a side missing Didier Drogba and Frank Lampard through injury to a batch of broken eggs.

“In the supermarket you have class one, class two and class three eggs and some are more expensive than others and some give you better omelettes,” he said. “So when the class one eggs are in Waitrose and you cannot go there, you have a problem.”

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5. Rosenborg draw

Chelsea were booed off at a half-empty Stamford Bridge following a disappointing draw with the Norwegian champions. Abramovich was understood to be concerned by the poor crowd and angered by Mourinho’s repeated complaints, but even then it was not clear that a dramatic parting of the ways was imminent.

6. Blue Revolution screening and Mourinho sacking

Quite simply the most dramatic day of the season, with Mourinho’s shock departure being played out in an almost farcical manner consistent with the spirit of pantomime that for several months had crippled key relationships at the club.

In keeping with his penchant for melodrama Mourinho sent text messages to several of his players as he entered a cinema screening of Blue Revolution, a documentary about the Abramovich takeover, telling them he would be leaving the club and saying goodbye. His exit terms were thrashed out in a meeting at Stamford Bridge that ran on into the small hours, with Grant being announced as his successor to general astonishment the following morning.

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7. John Terry holds players’ meeting

There was barely a dry eye in the house when Mourinho popped into the training ground to collect his belongings and say farewell, and with the players still in shock and talk of mutiny in the ranks John Terry called them together for a meeting the following day.

The captain spelled out the need for loyalty and commitment to each other and the club as a whole irrespective of who was the manager, an inspired rallying call that played a huge part in turning their season around.

8. Obi Mikel sent off at Old Trafford

Grant blames defeat in his first match in charge on Mike Dean’s decision to dismiss John Obi Mikel for a characteristically wild lunge, even suggesting that it may have ultimately cost his side the title, though the visitors were always second best as United won 2-0.

There was little sign of the implosion that many had predicted however, with Chelsea demonstrating plenty of the character and resilience they would need in the months to come

9. Valencia 1, Chelsea 2

The first indication that Grant had a chance at the highest level as, following a home draw with Fulham and comfortable Carling Cup win at Hull City, Chelsea came from behind to win in one of the most intimidating arenas in European football.

Joe Cole and Didier Drogba scored the goals that put Chelsea’s Champions League campaign back on track, but of greater significance was the symbolic importance of the victory, with Grant pulling off an improbable win at the scene of one of Mourinho’s greatest triumphs in the previous season’s quarter-finals

10. Chelsea 6, Manchester City 0

Grant had, perhaps unwisely, attempt to allay the many sceptics by promising sustained success in greater style, with this victory over a City side on the up the first occasion on which he delivered. The rout was so comprehensive that even Andriy Shevchenko scored but Chelsea soon reverted to type, grinding out results in an attritional manner that earned admiration, if not genuine affection.

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11. Chelsea 4, Aston Villa 4

The debate of thrilling v functional football returned with a vengeance after this Boxing Day Spectacular, with Chelsea somehow contriving to throw away a game they had sewn up twice by conceding two late equalisers.

This failure to kill off opponents would return to haunt them through the season as Grant refused to close down matches in the manner of his predecessor, a resistance that ultimately cost them the title.

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12. Carling Cup final: Chelsea 1, Tottenham Hotspur 2

After away defeats to United and Arsenal the first Cup final of the season was seen as Grant’s first big test to prove himself in a big game, an examination he comprehensively failed.

The Israeli’s decision to play Nicolas Anelka wide on the left for the first time in his career back-fired as the French striker was utterly anonymous, while the omission of the in-form Michael Ballack was simply perverse. The post-mortem lasted much of the following week and, being Chelsea, was played out in public, leaving serious question marks over Grant’s future.

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13. Barnsley 1, Chelsea 0: FA Cup defeat

Being on the wrong end of one cup upset could be regarded as unfortunate but suffering two shock defeats in the space of a fortnight, particularly one of this magnitude, left Grant on the brink.

Kayode Odejayi’s second half goal for Barnsley was enough to eliminate the FA Cup holders, leaving them with just the Premier League and Champions League to fight for, both of which appeared out of reach.

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14. Tottenham Hotspur 4, Chelsea 4

A thrilling night at White Hart Lane will be remembered as one of the matches of the season, though at the time seemed only to have provided the final nail in Grant’s coffin. The manager was pilloried for his substitution of Joe Cole, who had scored twice and was the best player on the pitch, which sacrificed the initiative and enabled Spurs to grab a late equaliser through Robbie Keane after being behind entire match. Grant appeared jinxed, as even when he attempted to shore up a game it back-fired.

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15. Chelsea 2, Arsenal 1; Drogba beats Arsenal

The turning point in Chelsea’s season and possibly Grant’s entire career came just four days later, as he took advantage of Arsenal’s fragility to secure a first win against a top four club and throw the title race wide open.

And to make things better Grant even contributed, with his gamble in switching to 4-4-2 and throwing on Nicolas Anelka and Juliano Belletti vindicated as Drogba scored twice to dent Arsenal’s championship challenge.

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16. Chelsea 1, Wigan Athletic 1: Emile Heskey equaliser

Perhaps more than any other this match encapsulated Chelsea’s roller-coaster season and the manager’s high-wire act, with the team booed off following a dreadful first half and returning to play some of their best football of the campaign before being denied at the death.

Emile Heskey’s 90th-minute equaliser in front of the Shed silenced the stadium and, as well as moving Wigan closer to safety, may ultimately have decided the title race.

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17. Liverpool 1, Chelsea 1: John Arne Riise own-goal

By keeping Chelsea in contention in the Premier League and Champions League Grant had already demonstrated he was a competent manager, but an incredible night at Anfield showed that, even more importantly, he was also a lucky one.

Liverpool had been on top all evening and should have taken a two or three-goal lead before Riise’s moment of madness, stooping low to head Salomon Kalou’s cross into his own net rather than clear with his weaker right foot. Mourinho must have been cursing his misfortune in Portugal as much as Rafael Benitez on the sidelines.

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18. Chelsea 2, Manchester United 1: Michael Ballack penalty

With the FA still investigating what triggered the Battle of Stamford Bridge the fall-out from this match will rumble on for some time, but for Chelsea the true significance of an unforgettable afternoon was the three points that put renewed pressure on United. That they got them was due to the steely nerve of Ballack, who backed up his comments from earlier in the week that Germans do not need to practice penalties.

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19: Chelsea 3, Liverpool 2: Frank Lampard penalty

The night in which Grant finally stepped out of the shadow of his predecessor by guiding Chelsea to the first Champions League final in their history, though typically he was denied the limelight even on this occasion because of the contribution of Frank Lampard.

The England midfield player’s courage in stepping up to take the crucial penalty was rightly lauded, a shining example of human bravery that transcended its context, and will be remembered by many as the moment of the season.

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20. Chelsea 1, Bolton Wanderers 1

Matthew Taylor's injury time equaliser from Alex's poor clearance sums up Chelsea's season, in which they have demonstrated commendable spirit and given everything, but ultimately been shown up as second best to United. Their biggest weakness has been a failure to hold onto leads late in matches, as previously happened against Aston Villa, Tottenham Hotpsur and Wigan Athletic, before Bolton's late leveller.