For all the millions Chelsea have spent on players to fuel this unexpected title bid, its upkeep through the festive period will rely in no small part on one signed for nothing.
The decision to poach Tosin Adarabioyo from neighbours Fulham at the end of his contract last summer had a bit of a feeling of ‘why not?’ about it, but the centre-back is now set for his first prolonged run in Enzo Maresca’s first-choice side.
Maresca revealed last week that both Wesley Fofana and Benoit Badiashile are set for a “long period” out through injury, Fofana having already missed the last four Premier League games with a hamstring problem.
The young Frenchman’s absence had the potential to be a major blow given the promising growth of his partnership with Levi Colwill. Maresca’s adventurous use of at least one full-back puts additional defensive burden on his centre-backs and stability and understanding is key.
So far, though, Fofana has not been overly missed. Yesterday’s goalless draw at Goodison Park was the first time the Blues have dropped points in that run, and in any case came with the consolation of only the league campaign’s fourth clean sheet.
Tosin, despite his fairly minor role overall to this point, has played a significant part in all but one of those, starting at Everton and West Ham, as well as steadying a creaking defence with his introduction off the bench at Bournemouth in September.
This was his best performance yet, leading the way in terms of clearances and aerial duels in dominating what had the potential to be an awkward battle with Dominic Calvert-Lewin.
It bodes well for similar clashes against powerful No9s in Raul Jimenez, Liam Delap and Jean Philippe-Mateta in the Blues’ next three fixtures. A sensational block on Iliman Ndiaye late on was ultimately the difference between leaving Merseyside with a point and not.
It was a minor surprise that Maresca turned to Badiashile first when Fofana went down last month, but the Tosin-Colwill partnership has a more natural balance, with one left-footer and one right.
“Tosin was very good,” Maresca said yesterday. “Levi [Colwill] was very good. All the players defensively today, we were very good, so I'm happy for them.
“Again, a clean sheet, we don't concede. We arrived to the Christmas moment second in the table with the best attack and one of the best defences, so we are happy.”
Tosin’s presence also adds leadership to a side which, by Maresca’s own diagnosis, is not flush with it.
At 27, the Manchester City academy graduate is the oldest player Maresca has used in the league this season and the oldest signed in the Todd Boehly-Clearlake era.
Unlike so many of the prodigious talents snapped up early in their careers, he arrived at Chelsea already with a bank of diverse experience, having played six full seasons of senior football, half of those in the Championship.
Worth remembering, then, that this is a significant step up for Tosin, too, suddenly thrust into the heat of a title race having only six months ago been in relative mid-table comfort at Fulham. Thus far he has made it look simple.
