Have they come to carry out a continental plot to drive down the value of the Premiership's worldwide TV rights?
Groggy with boredom, living-room viewers must have been letting the remotes slip from numb fingers yesterday. If there is any scheme at work, though, it is one of which Mourinho can boast. Chelsea, with a single goal conceded, have now made the best start defensively to a season since the introduction of the Premiership. He might be the prototype for the manager of the future but Mourinho also hints at a revival of old English ways. There are overtones, particularly since half of their eight league games have brought 1-0 wins, of George Graham's Arsenal. The same organisation and unflinching concentration apply.
The present Highbury, of course, is virtually a refutation of Graham's policy and Arsène Wenger cannot be bracketed with the other overseas managers as a conservative. Arsenal are playing at the furious pace set by their forwards but that will only add to Mourinho's satisfaction that his side, even so, are shadowing the Premiership champions.
Chelsea continue to be two points behind the leaders and it is conceivable that they will track Arsenal down over the stretch from autumn to early summer. Mourinho must find it easy to uphold the measured tread of his team when Manchester United, having faltered once more yesterday in the home draw with Middlesbrough, are seven points adrift of his side.
Blessed as the club are financially, Chelsea are already establishing that, in adversity, they also have the resourcefulness required to win the title. With Adrian Mutu and Mateja Kezman already injured, Didier Drogba went off with a groin strain here, exposing thinness in the attacking options.
The forthcoming international break will not be long enough for the Ivory Coast striker to heal and, since he is the only centre-forward at Stamford Bridge who carries the fight to the opposition, he will be missed.
Even so Chelsea indicated yesterday that they can find a way to win. They saw off a subdued Liverpool at a free-kick and six of their last eight goals have come from set pieces. Such impact at rehearsed manoeuvres illustrated the degree to which well-drilled players have learned to trust in their preparations.
The effectiveness was especially predictable since Benítez's side are notoriously brittle at dead-ball situations. After 64 minutes Frank Lampard clipped the ball in from the right and Joe Cole, Drogba's replacement, ran unmarked to get in front of John Arne Riise and place the ball inside the near post, side-footing past Chris Kirkland.
It was a delicate piece of work and, though Mourinho scowls at Cole's lack of discipline, the player did leave an impression on the afternoon. Kirkland, in his first start of the season, was a little rusty and, when he got a hand to a drive by the Chelsea midfielder in the 57th minute, he only lifted the ball towards the top corner, so requiring Harry Kewell to head off the line.
On other occasions Cole let fly unprofitably from an angle when a good pass might have devastated Liverpool but he did offer an intermittent brightness. Someone, at present, seems always to crop up to resolve any trouble Chelsea are experiencing. For that reason someone like Lampard does not have to brood over a slight loss of form.
Goals are eluding the England midfielder for the time being. Shots tend to be miscued and, three minutes prior to the interval, he headed yards wide when the highly impressive Paulo Ferreira crossed perfectly. It will be surely to Liverpool's concern, though, that they had no such disappointments.
Djibril Cissé, promising initially and eventually discouraged, saw an effort deflected narrowly past a post and Petr Cech, the Chelsea goalkeeper, comfortably beat away a drive from the right by Steve Finnan at the very end. There is no impetus to Liverpool in away matches, a weakness that does not arise solely from the absence of Steven Gerrard.
Xabi Alonso, having hit yet another free-kick too long, pulled his shirt over his head in shame just before the final whistle. The Spanish midfielder, who is actually an outstanding footballer, did not really require such measures to hide. He and several other Liverpool players went unnoticed even as they were supposed to be going about their normal business.
Jamie Carragher, to his credit, was not to be overlooked and, even if one had shut one's eyes, one might still have heard him. Early in the match a scream instructed Josemi not to try and mark Drogba by standing in front of him. One long ball would have put the striker clear and it must be a concern to Benítez that the Spanish full-back needed the advice.
Josemi, with too little cover, floundered against Damien Duff. Lampard was unable to connect with one cross from the Irishman and another that left Kirkland stranded had to be headed away from Cole by Carragher. Chelsea do not rue such incidents at present. They may not score many but they are scoring enough.