So what is it to be for Everton? It was the first question that emerged after the final whistle.
Everything felt right at Goodison Park once again. There was life in the Gwladys Street End, where the majority of 2,000 boisterous fans were seated, there was noise in this old venue but, most importantly, there was a performance of which they could be proud.
Frank Lampard might have grumbled afterwards. Chelsea might have had more of the ball. But anything other than a home win would have been unjust.
This was one of those occasions that left you feeling this team of Carlo Ancelotti’s are stirring. They chased and they ran, they tackled and took their opportunity — via the cool head of Gylfi Sigurdsson — when it arrived from the penalty spot.
Everton looked every inch a team with Europe in their sights, but then you remembered some of what has gone before in the last two months, when they failed to win six of their previous seven fixtures.
‘It has been a weird season,’ said Mason Holgate, one of many in blue who excelled. ‘We have won in blocks then lost in blocks, whereas others have been winning one and then losing one.
‘We know where we stand in contention for Europe and we believe we can stay in and around the top four.’
Holgate does not lack for confidence but it was refreshing to hear him be so forthright. Everton have invested fortunes during Farhad Moshiri’s reign as the major shareholder, so why not dare to dream?
True, Everton will have to convince their doubters they have the consistency to last the distance but what cannot be debated is the opportunity in front of them in one of the most open campaigns in years.
If over Christmas they can find the swagger of those opening weeks, when they started with seven straight wins in all competitions, they will give themselves a real platform. They face Leicester, Arsenal, Sheffield United and Manchester City before the year’s end.
‘That’s where we believe we should be,’ said Holgate. ‘We know that we deserve to be up there. We know what quality we have got as a squad. We were improving towards the end of last season and then we made great additions in the summer. The results had not been good enough — and we knew that. When we turn up, we have got a team that can cause anyone problems and I think we can beat anyone when we play to our best.’
Defend in this fashion and they will have many possibilities. Holgate reverted to right back and didn’t put a foot out of place.Michael Keane’s performance was impeccable alongside the combative Yerry Mina and young Ben Godfrey once again showed terrific potential.
The ferocious way they protected their goal left Lampard fearing the worst. His team were second best in almost every position, with only Reece James close to the standards Lampard would expect.
‘In the Premier League you’re going to lose games, so it is very important we put perspective on it,’ said Lampard, pointing out his team had gone undefeated since September 20. ‘The first 20 minutes it was clear it was going to be physical and second balls.
‘The edge was in the game and we weren’t quite on the edge. We didn’t find enough answers. But I’m not going to say I’ve learnt anything from one game. Our creative play wasn’t as good as it’s been but some of that will have been how well they defended and organised against us.’
Lampard certainly got that right. Everton’s organisation and resilience was better than it had been for months, possibly as good as it has been at any time under Ancelotti.
This foundation cannot be allowed to go to waste.