Cole Palmer took the plaudits, but Chelsea’s record signing is already showing why the club spent so heavily on him.

Morgan Rogers could hardly believe what he was seeing. When he walked into the interview room at Stamford Bridge after Chelsea’s 6-3 comeback victory over Leeds in the Carabao Cup, his team-mate and close friend Cole Palmer was presented with the man of the match award.

Rogers, meanwhile, received nothing — and he was not impressed. “I got four assists! Nah,” the England midfielder shouted.

Still stunned that Palmer had been given the prize, Rogers added: “I can’t believe that. That is mental. He scored a pen! That is mental, that is.”

As the producer attempted to smooth things over, saying there would be questions about Rogers’ impressive beginning to life at Chelsea as well as Palmer’s performance, Rogers stuck to his point. “No, don’t mention me - I’m just a bystander,” he said with a wry smile. “That is criminal.”

Rogers, like Palmer, was among the four players sent on at half-time by an unhappy Xabi Alonso, with Chelsea trailing Leeds 1-0 and staring at a third-round exit from the Carabao Cup — one of only three competitions they are involved in this season because they are not playing European football.

Things became worse for Chelsea before they improved, as 1-0 turned into 2-0. But then the players brought on to change the game began to make their mark. Palmer converted a penalty to make it 2-1 and then finished superbly into the far corner to level at 2-2.

Morgan Rogers is already making an outstanding start at Chelsea.

But Rogers set up three goals in the space of 10 minutes. And if he is also credited for the fifth goal, created for Valentin Barco, then that becomes four assists in 12 minutes.

There is still a long way to go, but Rogers is already starting to justify the £117million Chelsea paid Aston Villa to make the 24-year-old their record signing this summer.

Rogers has looked lively in all five of his appearances for Chelsea so far, moving sharply through the half-spaces and building an increasingly promising understanding with Palmer and Joao Pedro in a front three that has the potential to become, by some distance, the most devastating in the Premier League.

In his 45-minute cameo against Leeds, just as in the league wins over Fulham and Brighton, Rogers created more chances than any other Chelsea player.

Many Chelsea forwards in recent seasons have been inconsistent, but the club were happy to pay a premium for Rogers — a Premier League-proven attacker whose reliable end product had already established him as one of Europe’s most dangerous forwards.

Two goals and five assists in five matches across all competitions show that he is already reproducing the form he displayed for Villa in west London.

It is no surprise Arsenal were so eager to sign him this summer. But they hesitated, and paid the price, while Chelsea paid a big fee to jump ahead and secure the player they wanted.

“You should have signed for a big club,” Arsenal supporters chanted at Rogers when he was taken off last Sunday. His excellent volley after just 77 seconds at the Emirates Stadium showed Arsenal exactly what they had missed. Their loss has been Chelsea’s gain.

Rogers shares with Palmer that priceless quality of being able to have a major impact on a match without seeing much of the ball.

Rogers also shares with Palmer — his childhood friend from their time together in Manchester City’s academy — that invaluable ability to shape a game without needing constant possession. His decision-making on Wednesday is what helped him produce three, and possibly four, assists from only 0.16 xA.

That front three of Rogers, Palmer and Joao Pedro is expected to overwhelm teams in many matches over the course of the season. It first showed signs of that on the opening night against Fulham and displayed it even more emphatically on Wednesday.

Joao Pedro was not even required this time; it simply took Rogers and Palmer producing moments of class to inspire Chelsea to six second-half goals.

Palmer said Alonso’s half-time instruction had been to “up the intensity”, and bringing on him and his close friend Rogers was a guaranteed way to do exactly that.

“Me and Morgs and Joao especially — not to say the defenders aren’t — but, yeah, we’re enjoying it,” Palmer said afterwards. That summed up perfectly where Alonso’s Chelsea are functioning well and where they are not.

Rogers was asked what had allowed him to settle so quickly at his new club.

“The environment, the coaching staff, the players have welcomed me in and allowed me to be me and show what I’m about,” he said. “To play with this calibre of players makes my life a lot easier. I can show my ability as best as possible.”

Rogers feels Chelsea’s reshaped attack is already “clicking”, and that “it doesn’t usually happen quite this early.” So far, he has looked every bit a smart investment.