Chelsea 1-3 Man City: The one where reality set in

Kevin de Bruyne reminding Chelsea what could have been 

There had been more than a good chance that Chelsea's must-win crunch clash with Manchester City was going to be called off on Sunday afternoon. Six of City's first team along with a development squad player and staff members had all tested positive for Covid. Their previous match against Everton had been postponed while their training ground had been temporarily closed for a deep clean. As the match approached these positive results were revealed along with a breach in protocol from Benjamin Mendy. 

Chelsea 3-1 Leeds: The one that saw the return of actual fans

Unbeaten in the air

It's been eight long months but Saturday night finally saw the return of fans to Stamford Bridge. It may have only been two thousand and the ticket prices were grossly inflated - do better Chelsea - but it was magic to see supporters back in the stands. It was a step in the right direction.

Chelsea 4-1 Sheffield: The one that made a statement

The scene was set for a stumble. Bottom of the Premier League Sheffield United had not won a match since the last time they faced Chelsea. Inside ten minutes David McGoldrick had fired the Blades into the lead. The man has scored a total of four Premier League goals ever -- and three of them have come against the Blues. Cheers Arsenal for taking the edge off...

There was a sense of deja vu in the opening stages of this match. But with all those new faces buzzing about the pitch they weren't going to suffer the same fate as their teammates last season.

Krasnodar 0-4 Chelsea: The one that a penalty taking star was born

Timo Werner summed up the match perfectly when he said 'it was not as easy as the result says in the end.' Four goals flattered Chelsea - but it's not how you get there, just as long as you do. After a long 248 minutes without scoring, I'll take four whether it was a true reflection of the performance or not. Especially after that little drought!