You can make the argument that this vital win exposed the naivety in Chelsea’s young team even more than some of their most dispiriting defeats this season.

Having shown real grit to avoid being blown away by Tottenham in a frantic first 20 minutes and ultimately level the score with Palmer’s ice-cool penalty, Pochettino’s side seemed to withdraw into themselves the more the circumstances of the match tilted the advantage in their favour.

Tottenham’s unwavering commitment to a startlingly high defensive line with 10 and then nine men was so unusual and unexpected that Chelsea did not seem to know how to deal with it. Instead, they appeared affected by a vociferous home crowd, who grew louder and louder to roar the home side through the growing adversity they faced.

The biggest reason why they did not score earlier was that Jackson — despite scoring a hat-trick — was atrocious with the timing of his runs, consistently going too early and then calling for passes from offside positions. Chelsea eventually stopped looking for him, which made Tottenham’s high defensive line much more viable and less risky.

Once ahead, they also managed their lead remarkably badly, giving the ball away and committing silly fouls that allowed Spurs to pile on late pressure with free kicks.

Chelsea got the win they desperately needed, but Pochettino’s expression in the final minutes underlined that this team has a lot of work to do.