When Chelsea slumped to a 1-0 defeat by Middlesbrough in the first leg of their League Cup semi-final, it felt like a result encapsulating the club’s current plight.
More than a billion spent, what to show for it, and how long until Mauricio Pochettino follows the well-trodden path of Chelsea managers to the exit?
And yet, beyond the narrative, there’s a whiff of change. Chelsea have picked up more than half of their wins since December, during which time only Liverpool have won more points.
It’s not pretty, it’s not convincing, and they lean on penalties and Cole Palmer.