It was always going to be a tough contest against one of the Premier League’s in-form sides, and Chelsea found it difficult to regularly carve open Brentford's stubborn defence. However, our quality eventually shone through as Joao Pedro broke the deadlock and Cole Palmer converted from the spot to seal the three points.

Chelsea skipper James knew how important victory was, with the result moving us to within two points of the Champions League places. And he believes improvement will only continue, particularly given the limited time the players have had to adapt to Rosenior's methods.

‘We know we needed to win at home,’ Reece opened. ‘It probably wasn’t our best game on the ball, but to build something special, you need to win games when you’re not at your best.

‘We’ve only had a short period with the manager – and some of us have been out and only had a few sessions with him. We’re trying to learn as much as possible in a short period of time, and we’re adapting to the way he wants to play.

‘Things take time, and every manager has a different style, a different approach. In this moment during the season, it’s so hard to train because there is a game every two or three days. We just need to prepare the best we can.’

Rosenior used his full complement of substitutions against the Bees and, as we pass the halfway mark of the campaign, James believes the entire squad will play a crucial role during the run-in.

‘The season is long, and we’re only in January,’ he explained. ‘We still have a lot to play for this season, and there are many competitions we’re still in, and we’ll do our best.

‘The schedule is super hectic, and every season there are more games, and it’s a higher intensity. This is probably the most physically demanding league in the world, and everyone in the squad is needed for the full season.’