On 14 July 2018, Sarri was appointed head coach of Chelsea, replacing Antonio Conte who was sacked the day before. In his first competitive game on 5 August, the team lost the Community Shield 2–0 to Manchester City at Wembley Stadium. The following week, he recorded his first win as Chelsea manager in a 3–0 league win away to Huddersfield Town. Sarri became the first head coach or manager to remain undefeated throughout his first 12 Premier League fixtures, until 24 November, where they lost 3–1 to Tottenham Hotspur.