Thomas Tuchel's clever tactical tweak at half-time against Burnley proved pivotal in swinging the momentum in Chelsea's favour.
The Blues struggled to formulate many clear cut opportunities against Sean Dyche's side in the first half, lacking a spark that could ignite the world champions into action.
But, after a quick team talk and a change of formation, Chelsea quickly began the second-half in the ascendancy; Tuchel's withdrawal of Mason Mount from the front-three and into midfield unlocked a new lease of life for the visitors.
The 23-year-old has struggled for form this season, having predominantly featured in an offensive role, but his positional reinstatement proves to Tuchel where Mount's future lies.
Mount has been central to much of the Blues' success since breaking through under Frank Lampard, evolving into the side's primary catalyst.
Offensively and defensively, the Cobham graduate has been nothing short of superb in a front-three for Chelsea, but the England international's impressive display back in his comfortable number eight role against Burnley opens the door to an avenue in which Tuchel must navigate to shift the Blues into fifth gear.
With a roster of Mount, Mateo Kovacic, N'Golo Kante and Jorginho, the west Londoners would be just one world-class signing away from competing with Manchester City's wealth of midfield options.
One of those who could arm Tuchel with the firepower to do so is Declan Rice, who became a primary target of Chelsea's in the summer, according to The Athletic.
The report claims that the Blues board was put off by the 23-year-old's £100m price tag; a deal considered too 'steep' was postponed until the following summer.
However, football.london understands that it could take more than the original touted £100m million to even tempt the east London outfit into selling their most prized asset.
Mount has previously expressed his desire to play alongside Rice and, having done so with great success under Gareth Southgate, Tuchel has been shown why Chelsea must break the bank.
"That's something we've spoken about for a long, long time," Mount said. "Being very, very close friends with him, that's something we've always looked forward to maybe happening in the future. Obviously speaking together with him, that's very exciting.
"We're very, very close and have known each other for a long time. We've always spoken about that opportunity of maybe playing with each other again.
"Playing with each other at Chelsea at that young age. It was something special between us, so we've always kept that hope of it happening again."
If Tuchel is to take Chelsea to the next level and rival the likes of City and Liverpool for the Premier League title, then drafting Rice into the Blues' midfield could prove pivotal.
Follow our CareFree Chelsea trends writer Jake Stokes on Twitter to get involved in the discussion and give us your thoughts in the comments section below. Make sure you have subscribed to CareFree Chelsea on YouTube! The Fan Brands team, along with plenty of your football.london favourites, will be producing daily Chelsea content for you to enjoy, including match reactions, podcasts, football fun and interviews.
