Cesc Fabregas might make the difference for Chelsea... but will he ever be loved at Stamford Bridge?

It was a performance that offered a tantalising glimpse of what Chelsea might achieve this season and proved why Jose Mourinho wanted to sign him.

But as Cesc Fabregas walked off the pitch at Turf Moor on Monday night, having been involved in all three goals to cap a debut of which he could be proud, I couldn’t help think of one question — will he ever really be loved at Stamford Bridge?

Mourinho knew what he was getting when he asked Chelsea to pay Barcelona £30million for Fabregas’s services; a top-class operator with a proven pedigree on the biggest stage, the type who can make a difference in the games that Chelsea fell down in last year.

But Chelsea supporters knew what they were getting too — a former Arsenal player, who irritated them when he clashed with Frank Lampard. They might well respect his quality but will they afford him the same devotion that they have for Didier Drogba or John Terry? I would say that will be difficult.

And what do Arsenal fans now think of him?