First came the Champions League teams and there was Edouard Mendy, in goal against Sevilla having won his scramble to recover from an injury he picked up on international duty with Senegal.
Then, with little more than an hour to kick-off, Chelsea revealed their Premier League squad would include Petr Cech, club legend, technical performance advisor, amateur drummer and occasional ice-hockey goaltender.
Then came the clean sheet and much more solid defensive display. Spare a thought for Kepa Arrizabalaga.
Cech retired in May 2019, after playing for Arsenal and conceding four while losing in the Europa League final against Chelsea.