Pochettino’s side still showed a touch of toothlessness in front of goal — Broja missed an early opportunity after rounding Leno, and Enzo Fernández failed to add a third in the second half when presented with an enticing one-on-one. Mudryk, despite his well-taken goal, still did not quite shine on the left and was taken off due to a quad injury at half-time. There should also still be concern over the lack of style and personality needed to produce consistent performances.

None of this is to mention the issue of the club’s league position. Even after this victory, they’re still only in 11th place, a point behind Manchester United, and Chelsea’s task will only get tougher.

Chelsea have arguably wasted obvious chances to win points at the start of the season, with away defeats to West Ham and Nottingham Forest, as well as an uninspiring 0-0 draw to Bournemouth. The schedule is about to get much tougher: After a trip to Burnley, Chelsea then face a daunting run of against Arsenal (home), Brentford (home), Tottenham (away) Manchester City (home), Newcastle (away), Brighton (home), Manchester United (away).

“In football, you always have to be ready for everything,” Pochettino said. “This Saturday [against Burnley] is going to be tough also. It is important for the players to have a lift after two victories, but we will keep working.”

All of those worries can live for another day, though. On Monday, Chelsea broke their deadlock and halted a worrying slide in the league. There can be no ridicule in that.