Roman Abramovich's private jet touched down in London yesterday and with its arrival the balance at the top of English football was potentially tipped forever.
Transformed overnight from paupers to pacesetters, Chelsea now have the clout to compete.
The new owner's rhetoric suggests Chelsea will now be able to do what no other Premiership side can - compete financially with Manchester United.
While most managers scour the free-transfer lists, the Blues apparently have approximately £40 million to spend.
"This changes the face of English and European football," said Henk Potts, an analyst at Barclays Private Clients. "It makes the house that Jack (Walker) built at Blackburn look like a bungalow."
It said much that the aftershocks of Abramovich's takeover were still rippling through the top flight as David Beckham pranced around Real Madrid's training ground in his new kit.
United may remain the principal profit-makers in the Premiership, but Alex Ferguson had to get Beckham off the wage bill before he could recruit.
Arsenal, FA Cup winners and Premiership runners-up, are scratching around in the bargain basement, unable to spend even £7 million - a bargain fee a year ago - to hire Harry Kewell.
Liverpool have the finances, but can't offer Champions League soccer, and even Newcastle might struggle to muster such an imposing outlay for all their brazen recent spending.
Suddenly, Chelsea, released from their stifling £80 million debts, have a sugar daddy to try to deliver a first championship since 1955. The Ken Bates era did once seem poised to finance such lofty ambition. Chelsea spent about £19 million in transfer fees and paid massive salaries to Gianluca Vialli and Gustavo Poyet during Ruud Gullit's 21 months in charge, then Vialli was handed almost £50 million in his two-and-a-half years at the helm.
The Italian also gave Brian Laudrup, George Weah and Winston Bogarde massive salaries - Bogarde is still a millstone - but their best league showing was third in 1999.
Furthermore, frequent managerial changes disrupted Chelsea's challenge, with the appointment of Claudio Ranieri in 2000 prompting another unsettling spending spree.
"The bottom line is that Chelsea will be able to compete for players other clubs, perhaps even Manchester United, will not be able to touch," said Stan Lock, a soccer analyst with the stockbrokers Brewin Dolphin Securities.
"If Abramovich's willing to take on a debt of £80 million, he's going to splash out on world-class players. This man clearly wants to win the Champions League, but I can't believe he thinks he's bought the club as an investment."
