Palmer, wearing the Chelsea No.10 shirt for the first time, was a constant threat in possession and the England international came close to breaking the deadlock in the first half with a whipped shot which narrowly cleared the crossbar.

He was also involved in the build-up to our second goal of the night, as it was his pass that enabled Liam Delap to break down the right flank and then find goalscorer Enzo Fernandez with an excellent cross.

Maresca’s relationship with Palmer stretches back to their time together at Manchester City. It’s why little of what the England international does on the pitch surprises the Blues head coach.

Yet Maresca made sure to speak with Palmer after his performance against LAFC: ‘I had a short conversation with Cole [after the game], and I said to him that I really like the way he was today. He took responsibility, showed initiative on the ball.

'He was trying to receive the ball, go one-versus-one against players, and this is the Cole we expect.

‘After the Conference League final, he said he was bored when receiving the ball, so he decided to do something different. The day after that interview, I said to him that he could do it from the first minute – and why did he wait so long?! Why not do the same after one minute?

'Today, he was exactly doing that, and we are happy when he does that. I’ve said many times Cole is our best player, a top player, and hopefully he can continue to do the right things.’