Pride is the only word I can think of after that, pure pride. I am cast back to the miserable moments in December 2012 when Chelsea bowed out of the Champions League group stage in what was a pitiful defence of the crown they'd worked so hard to attain. A decade later, the Blues are out again, but supporters can feel pride leaving the Bernabeu this time.
Pride in the performance, pride in the dedication and the focus under Thomas Tuchel – whose light seems to burn even brighter by the week. Amid all the chaos of the past six weeks, Tuchel asked for a response from his players last Wednesday, and he's emphatically got one.
Plus, some individuals deserve their day in the sun after a season of frustration, whilst others take a step backwards. Let's take a look at The Good, Bad and Ugly from a heartbreaking defeat to Real Madrid.
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The Good - Timo Werner
There are many we could pick out here. Heroes across the field for Chelsea, but I'm going to give it to Timo Werner simply for the criticism he has received (rightly, in my opinion) and how he responded when the chips were down to save Chelsea, and more symbolically, his career here.
It was easy to dismiss Saturday's double at Southampton as a consequence of an opponent playing into the forward's hands, but here Tuchel entrusted Werner again, and he almost delivered a priceless winning goal.
He timed his run to perfection, kept his cool in a crowded area, and found the finish. These last four days have been the anthesis to Werner's story in 2021/22. A player devoid of confidence and looking like someone untrustworthy in the biggest moments. It probably spoke volumes that the game changed for the worse when he came off the pitch. This could act as a last-minute catalyst for the German to reshape his Blues story.
The Bad - N'Golo's error
The sloppy mistake in the first half of extra time brutally defined everything for this tie. N'Golo Kante had performed brilliantly, rediscovering the high levels that skyrocketed Chelsea all the way to the trophy last May. But in extra-time, when Chelsea needed him most, he faded.
It felt quite telling that as the game wore on, Chelsea's midfield was sapped of energy and Real Madrid's chests puffed out. The two legs against Los Blancos have probably signalled why the Blues must invest in the area this summer. As astonishing a player Kante has been, there have been signs of him slowing down.
The Ugly - Pulisic fails to deliver
Coming on for Werner at a crucial point of the game, this was the moment Christian Pulisic needed to step up and provide the same energy his attacking peers had. He simply didn't, losing the ball easily, being shrugged off far too easily.
Worst of all, his two chances inside the box in added time before the game went to extra-time felt like big moments at the time, and they sadly proved to be for Chelsea.
How quickly things can turn? Before the international break, Pulisic seemed to have the left-side of Chelsea's attack to himself, with Werner woefully out of form. But on Tuesday, the script has flipped and now it is the American fighting to get back in contention in the final weeks of the season.
