This time last year, there was not one player in world football who had a more esteemed and polished reputation than master of the midfield N'Golo Kante.
Riding high amid a European run which would end in glory against Manchester City in Porto, the Chelsea midfielder was irrepressible in his usual harrying, breaking up the play and setting up match-winning attacks. For Thomas Tuchel, he was irreplaceable.
Fast-forward a year and while Kante is still capable of playing at the very top with the full trust of his manager, as shown by being given the captain's armband on Tuesday, the quarter-final second leg against Real Madrid was indicative of a season where the Frenchman's lofty standards have plateaued somewhat.