It's hard to properly compare, but in the three matches before Reece James was injured Chelsea won all three, scored seven and conceded just one. Nine points, a Champions League and Premier League revival under Graham Potter had started, the world was a good place.
After James' second-half injury against AC Milan at San Siro, things have slightly changed. The Blues have won one of their three without him and drawn the other two. They scored three goals and conceded one in that time, without Kepa Arrizabalaga's help it might have been much worse. Having been worthy winners in two of the three with James - Crystal Palace were good value for a point - they have hardly deserved to win one of the next three.
It's a small sample size, but with Brighton, Arsenal and Newcastle as the remaining league fixtures before the winter World Cup break, the feeling may have changed slightly from Neo and Morpheus asking each other to bring it on. Now it's more a case of, get through these unscathed and Chelsea might have done well.
