Last July, it was at the Vitality Stadium on a calm summer evening when an unexpected breakthrough would take its first steps. Trevoh Chalobah emerged for the second half to feature in a back-three alongside Matt Miazga and Jake Clarke-Salter.
Given this was the first pre-season friendly containing a flurry of names who would either be loaned out or sold permanently, it was hard to take much of what happened that seriously. Though Chalobah would slowly gain favour, remaining with Tuchel's squad throughout further pre-season preparations before gaining his promotion into the first-team squad.
Chalobah has not looked back since, signing a new contract with the club in November and starting the Carabao Cup final against Liverpool. The benefit of Chalobah's emergence was that the pursuit of Jules Kounde falling through at the end of the window did not feel that big a blow.
