Nothing this season seems to have gone quite as expected in the Premier League.
Antonio Conte has outshone Pep Guardiola, N'Golo Kante has trumped Paul Pogba, and when Jamie Carragher picked out the division's best defender at the turn of the year it was Cesar Azpilicueta he selected.
Ever-present for the league leaders, and the player who has played the most successful passes in 2017, the choice still looks good with just 10 games left.
Sitting down with Sportsmail ahead of the run-in there is obvious satisfaction in that trademark pearly-white grin that while others talked the talk – or were at least talked-up in the summer – it is Chelsea who have walked the walk.