On Sunday Jose Mourinho will look to win the first trophy of his second spell as Chelsea manager when his side meet Tottenham Hotspur in the League Cup final.
Before he had achieved legendary status at Stamford Bridge, before the club's supporters had urged Roman Abramovich to bring him back, and even before he guided the team to their first Premier League title, Mourinho used the League Cup as a platform for success.
It was on this day 10 years ago Mourinho won his first trophy in English football as Chelsea edged out Liverpool in a thrilling final at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff.
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A game filled with flashes of brilliance and moments of controversy is likely to be never forgotten by football fans, especially those wearing blue on that Sunday afternoon.
The drama started just 45 seconds into the match as Fernando Morientes clipped an inch-perfect cross to John Arne Riise, who fired an unstoppable volley past a helpless Petr Cech to hand Liverpool the lead with the quickest goal ever scored in a League Cup final.
Chelsea's defence had been key throughout the campaign, but defeats to Newcastle United and Barcelona in the week leading up to the final meant confidence was low, and Mourinho's side struggled to find their rhythm in the early stages.
Chances did arrive for both Frank Lampard and Didier Drogba, but Jerzy Dudek responded well with a couple of fine saves to protect his side's lead.
Despite allowing Chelsea to dominate possession for much of the first half, Liverpool looked comfortable heading into the break as they continued to protect their slender advantage.
However, Rafael Benitez's side were pushed onto the back foot early in the second half, and were grateful for Dudek's brilliance as he kept out Eidur Gudjohnsen's header before blocking a follow-up effort from William Gallas.
Liverpool had a great chance to double their lead when Luis Garcia found Dietmar Hamann, but Cech denied the German with a stunning save.
That save proved to a vital moment in the match as Chelsea were handed a slice of luck when Steven Gerrard inadvertently headed into his own net from Paulo Ferreira's free kick.
Mourinho joined in with the celebrations on the touchline, but his decision to place a finger on his lips to frustrate the Liverpool fans was a poor one, and he was forced to watch the remainder of the match on television after being sent off.
Both sides had chances to clinch the win, but Dudek saved from Damien Duff and Milan Baros fired wide at the other end to send the match into extra time.
The best opportunity of the first extra period as Drogba climbed highest in the box to send his header against the post.
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Drogba made no mistake with his next chance after the change of ends as he collected a long throw from Glen Johnson before turning to drill the ball home from close range.
It looked like the victory was secure when Mateja Kezman enjoyed on of his few positive moments in a Chelsea shirt by converting from Gudjohnsen's cross to make it 3-1.
There was still time for more drama as Antonio Nunez caught out Cech to reduce the deficit with a header, but Liverpool were unable to find a late equaliser and Chelsea held on to lift the trophy.
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Mourinho's team would add to the success in Cardiff by winning the Premier League with a record 95 points, and he would finish his first spell at the club with six trophies.
More silverware is surely an inevitability for the self-proclaimed 'Special One', but Spurs stand in the way this Sunday as the London rivals make the short trip to Wembley.
Liverpool: Dudek, Finnan, Carragher, Hyypia, Traore (Biscan 67), Luis Garcia, Gerrard, Hamann, Riise, Kewell (Nunez 56), Morientes (Baros 74)
Chelsea: Cech, Paulo Ferreira, Ricardo Carvalho, Terry, Gallas (Kezman 74), Jarosik (Gudjohnsen 45), Lampard, Makelele, Cole (Johnson 81), Drogba, Duff
