It is very close to halfway through the campaign and as ever with a short period that is less successful than would be hoped for, there is no lack of reasons being put out there for the current league position.

The most obvious reason cited is incredibly simple. The goals scored per game in the league is behind what is needed. Twenty goals in 16 games doesn’t generally get the desired position, though it is possible if your defence is impenetrable. In actual fact, the statistics tell you that the defence is, if not unbeatable, then not too shabby at all.

Eighteen goals conceded in the league is only bettered by three other sides in Man City, Arsenal and Newcastle United. The top three! So it could be argued statistically that Chelsea are a top-four side defensively, though it is a simplistic debate. What it does underline is that the toughest thing to do in the game is the thing that is most problematic, scoring goals in decent number in the toughest league in the world.

Graham Potter will be well aware of this and also well aware of how slim the margins can be. Had Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang scored with the header late on against Nottingham Forest, a chance that looked like a good one by his high standards, then the narrative would have been so different this week. It would have been all about fighting until the end, resilience and depth of squad with the top four in our sights.

Maybe it would have been harsh on Forest however, they had enough chances of their own in the second half to say they deserved the points themselves.

These fine margins have however always shaped seasons and we must make sure we can change them to our favour. Obviously, Chelsea are not the only side who have found that not everything has gone to plan since the restart after the World Cup. Liverpool losing to Brentford could be considered an upset and Manchester City only drawing with Everton surprised just about everyone too.

Maybe that last result should give the team some hope in the upcoming ties against Manchester City. They are a very good side but they are not unbeatable. The thing is to make sure you face up to them and play with a pace and dynamism from start to finish. Easier said than done of course, as City can be very special when they get the chance to dominate games.

There is a temptation to say that the likes of City, Liverpool and Chelsea might suffer for a week or two more than many other clubs because of the high number of players they had at the World Cup. Brentford seem to have had a great restart with limited players going deep into the competition in Qatar. I suspect that again might be oversimplistic, but it is also unimportant now. You can’t think about that if you are any of the top teams, whether it is a reason or an excuse. More importantly it is just the circumstances and they can’t be changed now.

What could be changed is the impact of possible player movements this month. I think every Chelsea fan is waiting with bated breath to see if that one big acquisition can make the difference. This time I think it could be possible, because if you aren’t losing too many goals, then just the odd extra chance taken per game is maybe all that is needed to galvanise the rest of the side.

Since the return, Kai Havertz, Mason Mount and Raheem Sterling have all scored. That needs to keep on going but also with a bit more from elsewhere in the side as well. Back in the old days a team would be practising finishing all week long, but it is miles from being that simple. We have to manipulate situations that lead to those chances becoming more regular throughout the games.

In the recent tough league run, apart from the game at Brighton, the scorelines have all been very tight. It feels hard at the moment, but it underlines that it can be turned around quickly if someone can put the ball in the net regularly when those chances arise. Football doesn’t need to be that complicated sometimes.