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The most damaging way for the London club to respond to their thrashing of Barcelona would be to buy into the buzz. The issue is that feelings in the sport shift from one extreme to another, as the people managing things at the club have quickly come to realize.

They have faced plenty of ridicule for their unconventional method since buying the club from their former proprietor three years ago, so perhaps they are deserving to be a little doubtful now that the team are being commended for their recruitment policy and hyped as prospective title competitors before hosting Arsenal on Sunday.

Contrary to public perception, this is not a management that gets overexcited easily. The starting disorder has subsided – the club have had several permanent coaches since their purchase by the current owners and the investment group – and the aim of building a sustainable long‑term initiative is incompatible with panicking to one disappointing outcome, one decent run of form or even one convincing win over the Catalan club in the Champions League.

The message has not shifted since the beginning of the season: keep grounded. It is important bearing in mind that there was plenty of sceptical noise from outsiders when the team were defeated to United and Brighton & Hove Albion at the close of September. Was anybody speaking about a title challenge then? Or, in fact, after the side blew a single-goal lead and were beaten at Stamford Bridge to the Black Cats last month? The mood was contrasting. Cool thinking were required; the instruction from leadership was that Enzo Maresca and his team had to trust themselves after the setback by Albion.

Now, with draining on the road fixtures against Leeds and Bournemouth to arrive next week, the attention is on guaranteeing Chelsea are not lulled into overconfidence after that remarkable beating of the Spanish side.

Perhaps that unflappable feel will assist the youngest squad in the top flight stay balanced. the coach, measured to a degree in his public engagements, plays into the strategy. The Blues were in a analogous situation this time last year but the head coach consistently stated they were not in the championship contest. He believed it was too early in their growth. The coach encountered criticism when Chelsea fell away and ended up in a fight for European entry – had he offered the team an excuse? – but he was in his debut year as a Premier League boss. He and his team had to make mistakes and progress.

It is a intentional strategy. The manager is not given to making audacious declarations, often remarking he is planning no more than the upcoming game. His stance has not been changed by the team rising to second after a run of victories from their last multiple fixtures. It will almost certainly not even change radically if they beat Arsenal and cut their rivals’ lead to a few points.

“Whether we triumph, whether we fail to prevail, I believe it’s too premature,” the Italian said on Friday. “We are still in autumn. It’s extremely important in winter, the third month, where we are. From there we’ll see if we can accomplish something meaningful.”

That was about as near as it comes to an admission that, yes, it is achievable for the side to upset the Gunners. Yet there is no burden on Maresca to claim the league this season. The coach has goals to hit but the leadership will not review his work until the following summer. They have zero intention to be pushed into firing a coach during a season again. Chelsea want continuity and are only just beginning their journey.

They have deals in place to acquire more promising talents in the transfer windows of 2026 and 2027. They were scrutinised for moving on Noni Madueke to the Gunners last off-season but did so because releasing an experienced English attacker had to be executed to free up a spot for the new the Brazilian.

The youngster is learning. The youngster attacker was brilliant against the opposition, netting a breathtaking finish, but the South American starlet is not expected to begin against the Gunners. His minutes is being carefully handled by the coach. Chelsea had a affected pre-season after progressing all the way in last summer’s international competition. Maresca’s frequent rotation is evidence of a manager thinking about tomorrow as well as today.

Notwithstanding the restraint, though, it is also correct that Chelsea are perfectly capable of overcoming Arsenal. the playmaker is returned after two months out and prepared to start. Pedro Neto is in excellent form in the final third, and the midfielder and the midfielder will rival their opponents’ midfield power.

The head coach said beating Paris Saint-Germain in that Club World Cup showpiece had aided his team’s mindset. He values that they are distributing the scoring around more evenly than last term, when there was too much dependence on the star. A strong bench will also offer him a multitude of ways to confront the Gunners’ defence power.

Will it be sufficient? Maybe not yet. The side occasionally are missing a deadly edge and the centre-back’s absence with a extended {