As Raheem Sterling and Christian Pulisic deputised under Reece James' absence in Graham Potter's plan against Brighton, the true extent of how muddled things had become was apparent.
Chelsea have tied themselves in knots over a course of five years and now familiar grumbles are being heard once again. How exactly does Potter prove his worth over a long period of time and convince Blues fans that he is the man, when he is trying to keep his head above water first and foremost?
The simple answer to this would be that he doesn't have to. Todd Boehly's backing of Potter - demonstrated by sacking a Champions League-winning fan favourite of a manager in order to appoint him - with a five-year contract should be enough to show Chelsea are in this for the long run. This is football though, that's not how we do it here.
