Much of the last week in the Premier League has bordered on the ridiculous. Spending in the transfer window went stratospheric. Total expenditure topped £3.4bn by Deadline Day's close.
Chelsea's outlay of £340m on 13 players was the second highest of any side. But their performances across the opening weeks of the campaign have turned heads, too. At a practical level, Chelsea's squad looks as balanced as it ever has during the Todd Boehly era, with a pivot towards recruiting experience over raw potential.
Stylistic changes were necessary to reflect that. But have they come at a cost? Attacking fluency under Xabi Alonso has been established early; the Blues are one of four sides still perfect in the Premier League.
Wins over Fulham and Brighton were thrilling, and also completely chaotic, containing seven goals for and five against. Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player Fans will rightly be conflicted over what they have seen. In both games Chelsea conceded the majority of open play.
Brighton limited them to only 25 per cent possession, the club's lowest share on record in a Premier League game, while against Fulham that figure was no more than 38 per cent. And yet, what they did with the ball in the finite time they had it was exceptional. After two match rounds, Chelsea are the division's joint-highest scorers with seven.
Five of those scored in the first half of games. The front three have been electrifyingly good at dictating the early tempo. Does possession share matter, then?
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