LONDON — When Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich dismissed José Mourinho as manager in 2007, it was presumed that the oligarch wanted to win with more style than was being displayed under Mourinho.

But Mourinho is back, and the winning is as pragmatic as it ever was.

When Chelsea inched toward reclaiming the English Premier League title on Saturday with a snatch-and-grab victory against Manchester United, Abramovich looked as happy as a child given his first soccer ball. The Russian leaped out of his seat, high-fived his associates and beamed as we rarely have seen him do.

The impression is that Mourinho has taught his boss that winning is the only thing that counts. Style is for the birds.

“The game was the game that we wanted to play,” Mourinho said on television after it ended 1-0 at Chelsea’s Stamford Bridge stadium. “Exactly the game we wanted,” he repeated. “We decided to play strategically. I know what people can think, but it is three points in the pocket, and we are waiting to be champion.”