Thomas Tuchel's Chelsea go up against Brendan Rodgers' Leicester City in the Premier League on Saturday afternoon at Stamford Bridge, with both teams hoping to kickstart their campaigns after false starts.
It is of course still far too early to be making bold predictions or forming grand narratives from just three matches played thus far, but there is a sense among these two sides that things have not quite clicked yet.
With the underlying saga of Wesley Fofana's potential move from the visitors to the hosts still rumbling on, there is more than just the prize of three points at stake - a world-class defender may also be up for grabs.
Chelsea would dearly love to acquire his services, with their defence against Leeds United being hung out to dry last weekend, as Jesse Marsch's side put three past the Blues in a thoroughly embarrassing performance from the west London outfit.
That said, it has been a worse start for the the away team, who are yet to win a game this season in the league, picking up one point from their opening three matches - something they will need to change sooner rather than later.
Team News
Chelsea
Head coach Thomas Tuchel - who is set to miss this game due to being handed a touchline ban by the Football Association (FA) this week after his red card against Tottenham Hotspur - spoke to the media about the Blues' squad availability.
When asked about N'Golo Kante's fitness situation, the German responded bluntly, saying "We're talking about weeks. Four weeks plus." which will be a major blow for his team.
The midfield issues do not stop there though either, with Tuchel also commenting on Mateo Kovacic: "Kova is back in the group and ready to play 20 minutes. We need him long term but it's good to have him as an option."
Finally, another player who will not be involved for the hosts is Kalidou Koulibaly, after he was sent off against Leeds for a second yellow, meaning Tuchel will have to shuffle his pack at the back.
Leicester
Meanwhile, there is a duo potentially absent from the Leicester squad, with Brendan Rodgers giving an update on star man James Maddison: "We've got an issue around James Maddison. We'll see how that is tomorrow [Friday].
"Hopefully he'll be okay but that would be the only doubt. He just felt a twinge yesterday when he was training so we'll have to see what that looks like tomorrow."
The other injury is that of former Chelsea youth prospect Ryan Bertrand, who Rodgers explained is a longer term absentee: "There's no timeline. He's awaiting an operation so there's no time on that at the moment."
Likely Lineups
Chelsea
Mendy; Azpilicueta, Silva, Chalobah; James, Jorginho, Loftus-Cheek, Chilwell; Mount, Broja, Sterling
Leicester
Ward; Castagne, Amartey, Evans, Justin; Ndidi; Perez, Maddison, Dewsbury-Hall, Barnes; Vardy
Key Players
Chelsea - Reece James
It may seem strange to highlight a player to watch as a defender in a team which has conceded five goals in their past two games, but, as anyone who has seen him play before will attest, Reece James is no ordinary defender.
If anything, it is the Englishman's ability going forwards that puts him a level above the rest in his position, with the crosses and passes that he is capable of making proving a problem for even the very best opposition.
He has scored once this campaign, netting against London rivals Tottenham, but he is a player that is far more than just the statistics next to his name, proving his worth to his manager week in week out with the performance he puts in.
Leicester - James Maddison
Considering he may not even be fit enough to play on Saturday, it speaks volumes that James Maddison is still the player who is most likely to create something for Leicester when they travel to Stamford Bridge.
He has been one of few positives in the team at the start of this season, scoring in two of the Foxes' first three games, albeit rather meaningless goals given the final results of the matches.
Still, he is a potent threat in an otherwise rather stagnant-looking attack and given he was on the scoresheet the last time these sides met back in May, it is not out of the question that he may yet frustrate the home fans once more.
Match Details
Where is the game being played?
This match is being played at Chelsea's home stadium, Stamford Bridge.
What time is kick-off?
It is a classic 3:00 PM BST kick-off time in the UK for this Premier League matchup.
How can I watch?
As a result of the kick-off time, this game is not being broadcast live for those in the UK, but may be available for those watching worldwide.