Chelsea's fans mirrored the mood of dysfunction and crisis hanging over the club by opening this dramatic FA Cup night at Villa Park with a loud lament for lost owner Roman Abramovich.
It did not last long, cut off in full cry as Conor Gallagher's crisp finish at The Holte End instantly brought songs of a different kind, setting the tone for Chelsea's finest moment of this mess of a season under manager Mauricio Pochettino.
Chelsea's form has been so dismal that any talk of victory in this fourth-round replay at Aston Villa was placed into the bracket of an FA Cup shock - not exactly Maidstone United winning at Ipswich Town level, but a shock nonetheless.