A sunny, Saturday afternoon. A dead rubber of a match. And a Champions League final in six days. But at least Di Matteo did not forget about this final hurrah before Munich awaits.
But though there was that end-of-term feel to it, you could not help feel a sense of nostalgia. Regret, perhaps. Sentimentality. Emotion. This could be his last match as manager in West London. As for Didier Drogba, this could be his last match after eight years of unparalleled service. Not only him, Essien, Ferreira, Malouda.
But out with the old and in with the new. Di Matteo opted to rest several key players, giving Lukaku his first Premier League start, Hutchinson his full home debut take two, and there was even a place for Lucas Piazon on the bench, voted Chelsea Young Player Of The Year 2012 earlier in the week.
Though this was meaningless, you could sense that Di Matteo would have asked his boys to end on a high. But the laid-back nature almost allowed Blackburn the opener, with Lowe forcing a save from Turnbull, who was in need of a confidence boost after Tuesday night.
Sturridge and Lukaku were liking up play well, and it was the latter to put forward a case first, making Kean block at full-stretch from his header.
He was to test him again moments later after a good exchange with Sturridge, with the Belgian appearing determined to take this rare opportunity with both hands.
Half an hour of play sped past before Chelsea drew first blood. Terry surged forward after releasing the ball, and met Lukaku’s right-wing cross, in a perfect way to sign off the season.
Just two minutes had past before the second. Meireles poked home after Essien did the hard work, wiggling past the Blackburn defence.
The insurance goal preceded some tinkering by Di Matteo. With Malouda struggling with a niggle, Ferreira came on, took up the left-back berth, with Bertrand moving up to left-wing. It was all fun and games, training-session pace.
A lack of action meant the fans inside the ground could catch up on events all around the country, with euphoria, groans, and joy felt regarding respective rivals.
Blackburn did pull a goal back, however, with Scott Dann nodding into an empty net after Turnbull came and got nothing.
Ramires tried to restore the two-goal lead with a cheeky lob after a comic mistake by Kean, but it bounced off the top of the crossbar.
Didier Drogba came on in the 57th minute to a standing ovation, a mutual respect for his service to the club shown by the 11th minute applause for the Ivorian given his shirt number.
With a right-wing spot up for the taking in Munich, Torres came on too, as Di Matteo experimented.
But it was a man already on the pitch – Sturridge – who should have scored next, somehow wasting from three yards out.
Next destination? Munich.