It was following a frustrating home defeat to Manchester City on January 5 that Chelsea dropped to 10th in the Premier League table. Few could have envisaged on that cold Thursday night that 75 days later, Graham Potter's side would remain ensconced in the position.
Mid-table mediocrity is simply unacceptable to supporters, the majority of whom have become accustomed to a steady diet of title challenges, trophy wins, and, at the bare minimum, top-four pursuits. Potter appreciates this, even if the Chelsea head coach is quick to outline why his side is not an all-conquering force.
"Across the last two transfer windows, you are probably looking at a 20-plus player turnaround," Potter explained on Saturday after Chelsea were pegged back to a 2-2 draw by Everton. "So in terms of just stability, togetherness, and the spirit in the group, I think that’s been a real positive over this really tough period of weeks and months.
