The Brazil international has had an unconventional rise to the top but, apart from his sending off on Tuesday night, has made a rapid start to his Chelsea career. It all makes for a very interesting conversation with the forward, who was in reflective mood as he chatted to us on his 24th birthday.

'I think God makes his plans and everything goes well,' he says of his sudden arrival at Chelsea, which thrust him into tournament action when he had been enjoying his holidays this summer.

'To be in the Club World Cup was an unbelievable feeling, because it was my first experience of this kind of tournament, and then to win it… that was my first trophy. And it was unbelievable feeling. Now I need to keep on because the Chelsea fans expect nothing less than that.'

He also delves deep into his subtle finishes, which look so instinctive, explaining that they come from his boyhood playing impromptu games in the neighbourhood.

'In the street, sometimes you get a short defender, sometimes you’ll get a taller defender,' he tells us. 'So you need to find a way to do the best against your defender each time. And that’s why I think sometimes I’ll score a brilliant goal, sometimes a simple goal. I don’t have one way to score, you know? I think it’s good for me because if you have another solution, it will be easier for you to show your best.'

From Chelsea’s most recent headline-grabber, we then travel back 100 years to a great character from an age gone by, Ben Howard Baker, who remains the only goalkeeper to have scored for the Blues. Born in Anfield, he made his name in London, making him the perfect subject for focus as we take on his first club, Liverpool.

Another former Red is one of the main protagonists in the latest ‘Over Land & Sea’ feature, in which we take a look at the key figures in Chelsea history from various countries around the world. This time, we’re keeping it close to home with a celebration of Welsh Blues, and Joey Jones is among the trio of favourites from Wales who helped us to promotion in 1983/84 under former Wrexham boss, John Neal.

Jones starred alongside Eddie Niedzwiecki and Mickey Thomas in that fabled side and we take a look at their impact at Stamford Bridge, with a word for two Hugheses, Mark and Billy too.

There’s all the info you need on our opponents, plus the latest stats, facts and opinion from around the club, and much more. So make sure you pick up a copy from the programme sellers around the stadium, or order online from our publications partner, Reach Sport.