It was only in the hours after Chelsea’s 3-2 Premier League victory over Arsenal last Saturday evening that Maurizio Sarri allowed himself some time off. Even then it was just a few precious hours. Remarkably it was the first time since he arrived at Chelsea as their new head coach that Sarri had even ventured into central London – so intensely has he worked.

So the 59-year-old Italian walked for miles from Stamford Bridge through the streets as he headed towards the centre of the city, his thoughts only disturbed by the fans of his former club, Napoli, who he left in the summer – rather than those of Chelsea – who recognised him along the way.

“I found a lot of people of Naples,” Sarri said, laughing, at Chelsea’s training ground in Cobham, Surrey where his command of English is already impressive. “I have spent only one day in London in 40 days here…We had to prepare the season without players, so it was difficult the first part of the season for me. But I'm not able to switch off, me. Never. I am thinking always about my team and about the match, or the next match. It's my way to work in football.”