Chelsea need to take the blinders off as they weigh the possibility of signing Edinson Cavani this month, and ensure everyone else does, as well.
MORE GEORGE PERRY
No one player or moment brought about Chelsea's atrocious night against Arsenal. Many contribute to a 2-2 loss after 60 minutes with a man advantage.
Reece James is becoming Chelsea's best source of accurate crosses into the penalty area, but only Tammy Abraham seems interested in connecting with them.
Reece James has helped shift the balance of Chelsea's attack from the left side to the right. His place in the XI has rippled across the pitch.
Nothing worked for Chelsea for 93 minutes at St. James' Park, and then things imploded. The team does not need a revolution, just alternatives.
Dismal. Grim. Bleak. Funereal. And to think that describes what we now know were the happy parts of Chelsea's trip to Newcastle: the 93 minutes at 0-0.
The UEFA brain trust thinks 60 games a year are just not enough. Chelsea will be one of the teams to see injuries go up and quality go down.
Mateo Kovacic gives Chelsea a reliable way to move the ball across midfield, dribbling like a forward but protecting possession like a midfielder.
Chelsea needed to clear a high bar to justify recalling and reloaning Conor Gallagher. With Steve Cooper's Swansea City, they did.
Conor Gallagher is linked with a midseason reassignment from his loan at Charlton Athletic. Chelsea will have to set the bar high before making such a move.
Chelsea were extremely fortunate to have Jose Mourinho before the football world stopped caring about little things like trophies.
Cesar Azpilicueta moved into 12th place on the list of all-time most assists by a Premier League defender. And he's Chelsea's "overly defensive" defender.
Frank Lampard took a lot of empty heat towards the end of 2019 for not having a Plan B. Chelsea's fixture against Burnley showed the depth of his Plan A.
Frank Lampard has not shown interest in taking shortcuts this season. Chelsea would not get much out of a traditional "instant impact" January purchase.
Chelsea should stick to the template that is finally starting to pay off for their academy players and give Tariq Lamptey an extension to start his loans.
Chelsea host 15th-place Burnley on Saturday, a scenario that puts anxiety into Blues fans. Here are some more interesting things to consider.
Inter Milan see what they need on the market, but Chelsea cannot say the same. Until the Blues buy their ideal left back, they have to keep Marcos Alonso.
Chelsea paid about as much to sack Antonio Conte as they did for each of the new players that never moved the needle for his second season.
No one knows who Chelsea will sign, but everyone has an opinion. Ensure everyone of no consequence flocks to your side with these handy phrases.
Injuries have been major factors for Ross Barkley and Callum Hudson-Odoi. Where they are in their recovery adds context to their play in Chelsea's win.