For Chelsea it was a useful reminder about the danger of lowering their guard at this level. With 78 minutes gone nobody inside Stamford Bridge was fretting about what was happening between Ajax and Valencia in Amsterdam.

Chelsea were enjoying the rarity of a European night totally devoid of anything resembling dramatic tension and Lille, who had treated the game as if it was a glorified training exercise, looked content merely to leave London with their dignity intact.

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Yet Frank Lampard’s side are not in the habit of doing things the easy way. Dips in concentration remain a problem, especially at the back, and it beggared belief that Chelsea spent the closing stages knowing that one slip would plunge them into the Europa League. Stamford Bridge was an anxious place after Loïc Rémy halved the deficit deep into a sleepy second half and, while Chelsea held on, there will have to be greater ruthlessness if their chaotic Champions League adventure is not to end in the last 16.

It was, of course, a night for Chelsea to celebrate making it out of a tough group. Finishing above Ajax, who fell into the Europa League after losing 1-0 at home to Valencia, is a fine achievement. Yet it is Valencia who topped Group H thanks to a superior head-to-head record against Chelsea, who will land one from Barcelona, Bayern Munich, Juventus, Paris Saint-Germain and Red Bull Leipzig when the draw is made on Monday.

The focus will linger on whether this team has the smarts to make an impact against Europe’s best and the doubters will point to how Chelsea almost blew it here. They remain inconsistent, incomplete, and their loss of composure after Rémy’s goal has given Lampard another reason to dip into his £150m budget next month now the club’s transfer ban has been halved.

It should not have been so nervy. Chelsea were in control for long spells, dominating from the start and seizing the initiative thanks to Tammy Abraham’s poaching instincts and an excellent display from Christian Pulisic, who is starting to shoulder the burden of that £58m price tag with increasing nonchalance.

Lampard was full of nervous energy at the start, rushing to gather the ball after it went out for a Lille throw, and it was clear that he wanted his team to work up an early frenzy. This was as much a test of Chelsea’s mental strength as it was of their technical ability and Lampard had challenged his players before the game, saying it was a night for them to demonstrate how much success means to them. There had to be a reaction after Saturday’s messy 3-1 defeat at Everton and Chelsea fizzed with positive intent, hunting down the loose balls and chasing the opening goal with sharp, intense football.

The tone was set by Pulisic flying in to charge down a clearance by Zeki Celik inside the first minute. Jorginho could soon be seen snapping in to win possession in midfield and Lampard was delighted with Chelsea’s start.

Pulisic, Emerson Palmieri and N’Golo Kanté went close inside the first 15 minutes and Lille were already clinging on by the time Abraham, keen to dispel the idea that he shrinks in the big games, broke the deadlock with his 13th goal of the season. It was a fine goal, with the danger sparked by Pulisic’s slippery movement.

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The winger was up for it from the start and excitement built when he set off on another speedy run in the 19th minute. The ball was shuffled on to Willian, who tore clear on the right, and the Brazilian’s low cross was back-heeled home by Abraham from close range.

A sense of contentment fell over Stamford Bridge. Lille were already out and their priorities lay elsewhere. They made seven changes to the side that beat Brest 1-0 last Friday and left their leading scorer, Victor Osimhen, on the bench. Antonio Rüdiger could not have asked for a gentler workout on his return from injury, so much so that the centre-back took it upon himself to inject some intensity into proceedings at one point, crunching into a thunderous challenge on Rémy on the edge of the area.

Lille’s second string were not up to much and Chelsea moved clear with a straightforward goal 10 minutes before the interval. Emerson whipped in a corner from the right and César Azpilicueta headed past Mike Maignan at the near post.

Lampard had gone with experience, replacing Mason Mount and Reece James with Jorginho and Emerson, but Chelsea dozed off in the second half. Lille pulled a goal back out of nothing when Jonathan Bamba, on as a substitute, laid the ball back for Rémy to crash an emphatic finish in off the bar.

The mood changed as Lille chased the goal that would have knocked Chelsea out. Yusuf Yazici drilled a shot wide from the edge of the area and Rémy did his old side a favour in injury time, rolling a tame finish straight at Kepa Arrizabalaga after bursting clear on the left. Lampard was angry. He knows his team’s development has a long way to go.