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The most damaging approach for the London club to answer to their demolition of Barcelona would be to buy into the buzz. The challenge is that emotions in football shift from one extreme to another, as the people running things at Stamford Bridge have swiftly come to realize.

They have encountered plenty of criticism for their alternative approach since acquiring the team from their former proprietor three years ago, so perhaps they are justified to be a little doubtful now that the Blues are being praised for their recruitment policy and hyped as potential league contenders before hosting the Gunners on Sunday.

In contrast to widespread opinion, this is not a leadership that grows carried away easily. The initial turmoil has subsided – the Blues have had multiple full-time head coaches since their takeover by Todd Boehly and their partners – and the aim of constructing a enduring forward-looking initiative is inconsistent with overresponding to one bad result, one solid sequence of performances or even one thumping triumph over the Catalan club in the continental competition.

The message has not changed since the beginning of the term: remain modest. It is valuable bearing in mind that there was plenty of critical commentary from external sources when Chelsea suffered defeat to the Red Devils and Brighton at the close of September. Was anyone discussing about a league bid then? Or, indeed, after the side blew a one-goal lead and fell at home to the Championship side last month? The atmosphere was distinct. Cool minds were required; the message from the top was that Enzo Maresca and his squad had to believe themselves after the loss by the Seagulls.

Now, with draining away matches against Leeds and AFC Bournemouth to come next week, the priority is on ensuring Chelsea are not lulled into overconfidence after that impressive beating of Barça.

Possibly that unflappable atmosphere will assist the youngest squad in the English football stay level. Maresca, measured to a degree in his media engagements, plays into the approach. The Blues were in a comparable situation this time last year but the manager consistently maintained they were not in the championship hunt. He believed it was too soon in their evolution. The Italian faced scrutiny when the side fell away and finished in a fight for continental qualification – had he provided the players an out? – but he was in his maiden campaign as a English manager. He and his players had to learn and develop.

It is a conscious tactic. Maresca is not prone to making brave pronouncements, often stating he is planning no further than the upcoming match. His stance has not been shifted by Chelsea climbing to number two after five wins from their most recent half-dozen matches. It will likely not even alter radically if they beat their rivals and narrow their competitors’ advantage to a few points.

“If we win, if we fail to prevail, I think it’s too premature,” the Italian said on Friday. “We are still in November. It’s extremely important in February, the third month, where we are. From there we’ll see if we can achieve something important.”

That was about as approximate as it arrives to an concession that, indeed, it is feasible for the Blues to upset Arsenal. Yet there is no burden on Maresca to claim the championship this campaign. The coach has targets to achieve but the club will not evaluate his work until next summer. They have zero wish to be pushed into firing a boss during a season again. The Blues want continuity and are only just starting out.

They have arrangements in order to sign more youth in the off-seasons of the coming years and later. They were criticised for transferring Noni Madueke to their rivals last off-season but did so because transferring an established Premier League attacker had to be executed to create room for the arriving the prodigy.

The youngster is progressing. The teenager attacker was exceptional against Barcelona, scoring a breathtaking finish, but the young talent is doubtful to begin against Arsenal. His workload is being prudently handled by Maresca. Chelsea had a disrupted summer preparation after making it all the way in last season’s international competition. The coach’s frequent squad rotation is proof of a manager planning about long-term as well as the present.

Notwithstanding the moderation, though, it is also correct that the Blues are perfectly equipped of beating the Gunners. the attacker is back after an extended absence and set to start. Pedro Neto is in excellent form in attack, and Moisés Caicedo and the midfielder will match the Gunners’ centre quality.

Maresca said overcoming PSG in that Club World Cup decider had benefited his side’s mindset. He appreciates that they are sharing the goals around to a greater extent than last season, when there was too much leaning on Palmer. A talented bench will also give him a variety of options to challenge Arsenal’s defensive strength.

Will it be sufficient? Perhaps not at this stage. The Blues occasionally do not have a clinical touch and Levi Colwill’s absence with a extended {