Between the end of the 2002/03 Premier League season and start of the 2003/04 campaign Chelsea's starting XI changed by seven players. Their squad had been massively invested in by new owner Roman Abramovich and he effectively bankrolled the team.
In the space of two years there was a total overhaul of skill and confidence, not to mention the sheer volume of players. It shocked opposition teams and set the ball rolling for a period of 19 years defined by chaos and trophies.
Skip forward to modern day Chelsea. From the starting XI that beat Manchester City during the 2021 Champions League final it is arguable that seven players still get into Graham Potter's best team when fit. No permanent midfielders have been signed since 2019, only two have come in since 2018 and no defensive midfielder has been purchased since 2017.
