In the 94th minute sheer ecstasy for Chelsea and Calum McFarlane when Enzo Fernández forced home the equaliser. It left Pep Guardiola howling at the heavens and gave Chelsea’s interim manager a golden moment. Guardiola versus McFarlane could be billed as the Premier League’s greatest managerial mismatch, so the memory of Fernández’s intervention should warm the 40-year-old in his dotage.

On the home bench was the generation’s pre-eminent figure, with 40 trophies on the CV for Barcelona, Bayern Munich and Manchester City, taking charge of a 1,012th match. In the opposite technical area, a former coach at Croydon, Whyteleafe and City’s academy (2020-23), who led Southampton Under-18s and arrived to make a senior managerial bow was seconded from his regular post guiding the under‑21s and under-19s.

Factor in a slew of absences headlined by Chelsea’s important midfielder Moisés Caicedo (suspended) and the goalkeeper Robert Sánchez (injured), and McFarlane’s task began as mission: close-to-impossible.

The first trick at City’s home is not to concede early, as a rout can follow. Trevoh Chalobah heading away Rayan Cherki’s inswinging corner signalled Chelsea’s goal was under siege already but McFarlane’s unit proved spirited throughout.

Rodri started for the first time since 5 October,...