Rewind almost eight months, it was the second weekend of the new season, and Chelsea was in North London for a fierce derby against Arsenal.
The narrative of the afternoon surrounded the cinematic return of Romelu Lukaku to Chelsea. His debut, or re-debut, to take the spot he always dreamed of having, against an opponent where the previous two dominant Chelsea forwards most made their mark.
Within 15 minutes, Lukaku was on the scoresheet, discarding a hapless Pablo Mari to the floor like a toddler flinging an unwanted toy before slotting Reece James pass home. The afternoon was a dream come true for supporters wishing for Lukaku's return. A 90-minute period that felt like a symbol of what was to come. A new, ruthless Chelsea. Oh, how naive we were.
