Chelsea's inability to secure victory at Stamford Bridge on Saturday didn't just cost them two points against a Burnley side heading straight back down to the Championship. It also intensified the pressure on Liam Rosenior's Blues as the battle for next season's Champions League spots heats up. Manchester United's win over Everton on Monday enabled them to capitalise on Chelsea's stumble by climbing three points clear of them in fourth, whilst Liverpool are hot on their heels, sitting level with Chelsea but behind on goal difference.
The possibility of missing out on Champions League football inevitably sparks discussion about recruiting players or retaining the club's finest talent. For Chelsea, that conversation centres on Cole Palmer, a transformative figure and supporters' darling. But at a club whose current business strategy involves seeking to generate profit from their top performers, former Stamford Bridge favourite Pat Nevin believes Palmer could even be allowed to leave soon.
With Manchester United understood to have already expressed some interest in Palmer, Nevin told BestBettingSites: "I don't think it comes down to whether Chelsea would sell. They would.
"Would Manchester United want him? They probably would. Would the money be difficult? No, they would probably sort that out. Chelsea are a trading club. They bought Cole Palmer and they could sell him at a massive profit, and that's what they do.
"The Chelsea fans would be gutted because they adore him, rightly so. There have been concerns about his consistency and his injuries. It just comes down to one thing. It doesn't come down to the clubs, it comes down to him. Does Cole Palmer fancy playing for Manchester United? That's it. Nobody knows except Cole Palmer."
"I've heard hints that he was a United fan as a kid. That's a draw. When you look at what United are doing just now and how they're playing, and the possibility that you might actually have stability at Manchester United, that becomes a temptation.
"With Michael Carrick, it just feels like a different place. I've been at Old Trafford a lot of times over the last few years and it's been a hard place to watch football sometimes. The feeling hasn't even been ugly, just flat.
"Worse than anger is people being fed up, and you never want to see that at Manchester United because of the club it is, the history it has and the size it is. The Premier League needs a big Manchester United.
"I hope Michael Carrick gets the job long term. I think the group that's in just now has already shown enough that they can lift the club. I hope they get the job for at least the next year after this season, whatever happens between now and the end of the season. I'd give them that. Would that be enough to tempt Cole? I wouldn't be shocked."