So who are London’s top dogs now?

Chelsea’s battle to become relevant again in London, let alone in the title race, took a small step forward with the quality of their performance in a derby against Arsenal at the weekend; but there were still signs that the journey will be a long one.

A 2-2 draw against title-chasing rivals included long periods of dominance as Mauricio Pochettino’s vision became a little clearer. There were also signs of encouragement in terms of the dominance Chelsea exerted in defence and midfield, and the quality of the wing play from Raheem Sterling and Mykhailo Mudryk.

But the fact they went from 2-0 up to 2-2 in the final moments of the game, having been clearly the better side for so long, hints that there is still work to do at a club that has spent 1.2 billion Euros on players but still struggles to find cohesive form.

A mistake from new goalkeeper Robert Sanchez handed Declan Rice a chance to score Arsenal’s first, and there was sheer panic in the ranks by the time substitute Leandro Trossard fired home an equaliser. Understandably, at that moment, the energy drained out of the Stamford Bridge crowd, which had been on a high believing Chelsea were finally back.

They aren’t quite there yet.

The result left the Blues sitting 10th in the table, behind London rivals West Ham, Tottenham and, of course, Arsenal – and with Crystal Palace, Fulham and Brentford pecking at their heels.

That’s a long way from the days, only a few years ago, when Chelsea consistently finished as the top London side in the Premier League, were regulars in the top four and, on five occasions in the last 19 years, ended top of the pile.

Don’t forget they are the only London team to win the title since Arsenal did so in 2004 and the only London club ever to