‘Halfway through the season, if we’d heard that we’d win the Champions League, I don't think anyone would have believed you.’

For Christian Pulisic and many others, it was the dramatic and unexpected nature of our conquest of European football that made it so special. The Blues were largely unfancied heading into the Champions League knockout stages this time last year, but under the guidance of Thomas Tuchel we brushed aside some of the continent’s biggest names to lift the big-eared cup in Porto.

Pulisic was one of the stars of the show. Man of the match in the second leg of our quarter-final success over Porto, he then scored away to Real Madrid and assisted Mason Mount’s clincher in the return game, sparking raucous scenes at the Bridge. Nobody came closer than Pulisic to doubling our tally in the final, but the miss mattered not as we dug deep to secure a second Champions League crown.

‘It was a such an incredible experience,’ recalled Pulisic before heading off on international duty to represent his nation in World Cup qualifying.

‘It was special to be able to celebrate with my team-mates. Obviously that night was incredible. The next day, the times we were in with COVID and everything, it was kind of hard because we weren't really able to celebrate too much with our fans.

‘I actually flew back to the US almost the next day as I had another tournament I was trying to win [Pulisic and the US succeeded, lifting the Gold Cup]. So it was definitely an incredible celebration, an incredible first feeling but then after that you're kind of wondering what's next? It still like hasn't fully sunk in that we won the Champions League. It’s such a huge accomplishment.’

This month knockout European football returns to Stamford Bridge as we host Lille on 22 February, with the return leg in France three weeks after that.

Unlike at this stage last season, Tuchel’s Blues will very much be placed among the favourites to win the trophy, even if clubs retaining it has proven such a rare occurrence over the years.

‘When you think back to last year, it’s extremely special and makes you proud, but now it’s about winning it again this year,’ stressed Pulisic.

‘It definitely makes us hungry for more this year now and we want to feel that again. I think we're really happy with where the club is at. We just want to go out and we want to win, and that is something this club is all about. It’s special and winning that Champions League really showed that.’