Chelsea have found themselves in the top flight of English football for many years now.

They have been one of the country’s most successful teams in recent seasons, but 31 years ago they found themselves in what was then called Division Two, now named as the Championship.

The 1988/89 season saw Chelsea promoted back to the First Division, which is where they have remained ever since.

Ahead of the Championship play-off final between fellow west London sides Brentford and Fulham later today, VAVEL Chelsea takes a look into the season that got Chelsea back to English football’s main stage.

  • Slow start

The Blues, who were managed by Bobby Campbell, did not secure their first win until their seventh game of the season where they beat Leeds 2-0 at Elland Road.

From then on, Chelsea went unbeaten for five games until they suffered a 3-0 loss away at Hull City.

Despite this loss, the Blues then began to storm the league, with the likes of Graham Roberts and Kerry Dixon putting in top performances for Chelsea.

  • Off the mark

From October onwards, Chelsea were really starting to make their intentions known within the league.

They were dominating games, such as a 6-2 win against Plymouth and a 7-0 thrashing of Walsall.

The Blues didn’t fare so well within the cup competitions though, losing to Scunthorpe in the League Cup early on and being knocked out of the FA Cup by Barnsley.

However, their performances in the league made up for it.

  • Unbeatable

From October to April, Chelsea went unbeaten in the league for an incredible 27 games.

This run included a 3-2 win away at Manchester City, who were the closest challengers to the Blues for the title.

The unbeaten streak ended after a 2-0 loss away at Leicester.

However, the title and promotion to the First Division were secured thanks to a 1-0 win against Leeds at Stamford Bridge.

Chelsea’s season concluded at Fratton Park with a 3-2 win over Portsmouth, and it meant they finished as Champions with 99 points.

They also finished 17 points ahead of City who were also promoted, along with play-off winners Crystal Palace.

Since then, Chelsea have gone on to become one of England’s most dominant teams with countless trophies to their name.

Now it is time for the Blues to continue their domestic successes and win the Premier League once again.