Richarlison is talking about fear - or, rather, his complete lack of it when he has a football at his feet.

“I remember when I was growing up in Brazil, a guy once pointed a gun at my face because he thought I was a drug dealer trying to steal his distribution point," he says. "That was my life. After that, playing Chelsea seems much easier!"

The comment comes accompanied by a chuckle, which is something Richarlison does a lot. He has plenty to smile about as he reflects on his life since joining Watford in the summer: the club have made their best ever start to a Premier League campaign, and he is already being widely hailed as one of the signings of the season - a snip at £11.5million from Fluminese - and touted for a call-up to Brazil's senior squad for next month's game against England at Wembley.

Having skimmed four points from Liverpool and Arsenal, Saturday brings a visit to Stamford Bridge: Antonio Conte, already under pressure after consecutive league defeats, would be justified in feeling fretful.

The well-heeled streets of west London are certainly a million miles from Vila Rúbia, a rough area of Nova Venecia, Richarlison's home city in Brazil. It was here that the young footballer had his brush with that errant gunman as a teenager.