Chelsea did leave it late at Stamford Bridge to record a first win at home since our victory against Newcastle in mid-March, a match which followed a similar pattern and that also needed a clinical finish in the final few minutes.

Despite a cagey first half, Thomas Tuchel’s side upped the tempo after the interval, recording 20 of our 26 shots in this time period, and the captain has praised his team-mates’ patient and professional display.

‘Massive three points, we’ve been on a bad run at home, we didn’t look the best in the first half but we knew it would be a difficult game, we kept the spirit and we fought until the end. It was a big three points which I think we deserved,’ the Spaniard said.

‘When you get a late penalty and you have the chance to score and it doesn’t go in, maybe you can drop and say you missed a big opportunity, but the team reacted really well. This is how we have to react, altogether until the end. Christian [Pulisic] scored a massive goal and of course we’re very happy.’

Speaking of the goal, Azpilicueta highlighted the huge impact by our substitutions which he believes were key to getting Chelsea over the line.

Tuchel decided to make a triple attacking change just 14 minutes from time with eventual match-winner Christian Pulisic introduced alongside Romelu Lukaku and Hakim Ziyech.

‘Amazing ball by Marcos, a good cut back and great finish. That is the way we were creating chances, arriving in the box and crossing the ball, arriving from the second line and of course it was a big impact from Christian, Romelu and Hakim as well. They gave us a different spirit, we are a team and we have to go through these moments together. We need help from everybody.

‘I am really pleased for Christian. Lately he has not had a lot of minutes but he has been working really hard. He got the reward, and hopefully he can keep going in this direction.’

The 32-year-old added that the victory feels even more special given the amount of games the Blues have competed in this season.

‘If we go through everything there are also little things that can happen, the results as well as the confidence. We have a lot of injuries as well right now but we have to deal with it. It is not an excuse. As I always say at the start of every season, we go for everything.

‘Sometimes the consequences of arriving at the latter stages of every competition is that you play more games. We have to cope with it as we are competitors, and after the bad run we have had at home, conceding a lot of goals, it is nice to leave with a happy face.’