The hope around Manchester City is that a share of the new American armada and the returning cavalry from Lyon will restore some of the team’s old invincibility, though the evidence of the season’s first significant fixture is that they are a long way from that.
Chelsea showed a capacity to mix up their football, going long as well as short, and exploiting the galaxy of attacking talent at their disposal. They counter-attacked with an instinct and acceleration which made City’s technical build-up look ponderous. And they provided powerful evidence that new signings are not everything in football.