Sometimes making history is not a by-product of achievement but a sign of failure. As Chelsea lost to Manchester City for the second time in four days they exited the FA Cup at the first hurdle for the first time in a quarter of a century. They had not gone out of both domestic cups before 9 January since the 1980s and, to all intents and purposes, they were eliminated before half-time. They may have beaten City in a Champions League final 19 months ago but, after five defeats in seven games, that feels like another era.
Runners-up last year, Chelsea have a habit of losing FA Cup finals, but not third-round matches. The previous time they went out at this stage, the late, lamented Gianluca Vialli scored twice. There was no such potency here.
