Lavish spending could yet elevate Chelsea but consistency is a concern

C helsea are unrecognisable from 12 months ago. This time last year they were owned by a Russian oligarch, had a manager whose charisma had supporters hanging off his every word, and had just become champions of the world.

Even looking at the team that started against Palmeiras in the final of the Club World Cup feels like stepping into another age. Callum Hudson-Odoi, who got an assist that night, was at left wing-back and Romelu Lukaku led the attack. Antonio Rüdiger and Andreas Christensen were in central defence. Malang Sarr and Saúl Ñíguez came off the bench.

It was a different kind of club. Chelsea were nailed on to finish in the top four of the Premier League, hopeful of beating Liverpool in the Carabao Cup final and confident of another strong run in the Champions League. Problems felt surmountable. Back then the drama was Lukaku – the £97.5m final piece in the jigsaw – managing seven touches when Chelsea beat Crystal Palace a week after their triumph over Palmeiras.

How things have changed. From the team that faced Palmeiras, only two started when Chelsea drew at West Ham last Saturday: Kai Havertz and Thiago Silva. Others have either gone, fallen prey to injury or, in the case of Mason Mount, been dropped.

It makes Chelsea, who visit Borussia Dortmund in the last 16 of the Champions League on Wednesday night, something of an enigma at the moment. Sanctions forced Roman Abramovich to sell to Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital, who quickly replaced Thomas Tuchel with Graham Potter.

The owners fancied a calmer presence in the dugout. On Saturday, after Chelsea saw appeals for a late penalty against West Ham waved away, there was no fury with the officials. “That’s life,” Potter said, shrugging it off and moving