Last summer, after a disastrous title defence, most Chelsea supporters would have thought it unlikely that their team would be soaring away at the top of the table the following February. Had they been told the Blues would be doing exactly that with a previously unheralded former Bolton and Sunderland defender in their ranks, most would probably have laughed.
Marcos Alonso's installation in the team, however, has neatly coincided with Chelsea's reversal of fortunes. Ever since making his league debut for the club in September's 3-0 defeat at Arsenal, the player signed just before the summer transfer window closed and one initially seen as a squad member has become a permanent fixture in Antonio Conte's first choice starting XI.