Stars returning from injury
Chelsea's surge to third position has come with their best player, most accomplished centre back and most established academy star all out through injury.
N'Golo Kante's return against Crystal Palace last weekend was a big boost. Antonio Rudiger's pelvic injury, sustained at half-time in the win away to Wolves, remains a curious case with the Germany defender training but requiring specialist treatment that has kept him sidelined. And Ruben Loftus-Cheek's rehabilitation from a torn achilles is progressing well.
Although Rudiger and Loftus-Cheek's precise return dates are unclear, Kante merely needs to find some match sharpness following his succession of minor ailments. All three will improve the side further.
Fix the set-piece problems
From open play few teams have defended as well as Chelsea. From set pieces they have struggled more than everyone apart from West Ham.
Yet defending corners and free kicks is something that can improve with the right approach on the training ground and if they can collectively become more comfortable in that regard they will put up a stern challenge to any of the continent's best attacks.
Frank Lampard has flagged it as an issue. Sorting it could elevate the Blues to the next level.
Familiarity breeds success
In retrospect the only way to explain Chelsea's slow start was that a lot of new players and a new head coach needed time to familiarise with one another.
There have been signs of mini relationships developing in recent weeks - Fikayo Tomori's friendship with Kurt Zouma, Christian Pulisic's link-up with Michy Batshuayi, the partnership of Jorginho and Mateo Kovacic - and those bonds will only get stronger the longer the season goes on.
Next? A statement league win
While the performance level has been very good, the only thing missing from Chelsea's Premier League campaign to date is a statement win against one of the other big sides.
They have lost to Manchester United and Liverpool, and drawn with Leicester City.
On a positive note winning 1-0 away to Ajax last month provided sufficient proof that Chelsea are capable of producing such results.
The confidence taken from that evening in Amsterdam should not be underestimated and with Manchester City away up next, plus trips to Spurs and Arsenal during the Christmas period, it will be fascinating to see if that first landmark victory can come on the road - where Chelsea have played better than at Stamford Bridge.
