It is arguably Thomas Tuchel's strongest achievement since becoming Chelsea's head coach that he has managed to improve the Blues' midfield without grand investment. In what was one of the consistent issues under Frank Lampard, and in moments under Maurizio Sarri, Tuchel came in and ochestrated a system that highlighted his midfield's strengths, whilst limiting more glaring weaknesses.
It was against Real Madrid last May where both Jorginho and N'Golo Kante simultaneously reached high levels of performance to help propel Chelsea to their thrid Champions League final. Jorginho, in particular, had reached a level that few would have predicted during a tricky first year in England.
But in an ironic mirroring against the same opponent on the same ground, Tuchel and more pertinently Chelsea, were reminded of the message they have been ignoring for too long.
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The same duo were outrun, outnumbered and outthought under the harshest light. Whilst a year ago it was Kante's unrelenting movement leaving Real shirts in a heap, this year it was the Frenchman struggling to lay a glove on his opposing midfield. Like a boxing match, whenever Kante opened up to strike, Luka Modric, Toni Kroos and Casemiro simply weren't there.
The half-time substitution was harsh for a player of Kante's quality. However, the lack of shock within the home crowd said enough. As Nizaar Kinsella noted after the game, Kante had the lowest passing accuracy of all Chelsea's central midfielders. He did not complete a single dribble, win a single tackle, make a single interception or make a single clearance.
Quite staggering statistics for a player whose mere presence has helped define many big games for Chelsea since his signing in 2016. Jorginho cannot get away without criticism either. Although his delicate cross in for Kai Havertz's 40th-minute goal halved the deficit going into the break, his lack of presence going back the other way was impossible to ignore.
A flaw in the Italian's armour has always been his lack of mobility and speed, something Real Madrid exploited on multiple occasions with the Italian struggling to keep pace. His best interception almost set up Karim Benzema's third before half-time, which somehow the in-form striker carved wide. His slow ambling nature in possession irritated the home crowd, coming to represent Chelsea's uncreative feel for large spells of a disappointing evening.
This summer presents a crossroads for the club. A decision has to be made on both, not only for their underwhelming displays or the craving for new signings. But also because the club run the serious risk of a repeat of the Andreas Christensen situation.
Both midfielders are out of contract in 2023. Like Christensen, if no resolution is found in the summer and they remain for next season, the cloud of uncertainty will loom for months on end. Christensen, who started Wednesday's game against Real, appears to be on his way to Barcelona. The mood around the Dane is not great, with Thomas Tuchel not hiding the fear he's already agreed to join the Spanish giants.
Christensen could still be joined by his defensive peers Antonio Rudiger and Cesar Azpilicueta too, with Chelsea likely being forced into recruiting a new centre-back this summer.
Chelsea's loan addition of Saul Niguez has barely made a mark this season, feeling more like a short-term solution to a wider issue that cannot go unchecked much longer. Tactically it is hurting Tuchel with performances dipping and the reality that both Kante and Jorginho might have already given Chelsea their best.
