It wasn’t quite the cup upset that Blackburn Rovers had hoped for but Wednesday night was another important step in the club’s rise back to prominence.

15 years ago, trips to Stamford Bridge were the norm, not a novelty. Plenty has happened since Rovers’ relegation from the Premier League and there is no need to rake over old grounds.

Instead, Jon Dahl Tomasson is looking forward and rebuilding. Getting back to rubbing shoulders with England’s elite is an aspiration shared by everyone at the club and Rovers gave a good account of themselves in the Carabao Cup.

Chelsea did not take them lightly, partly out of personal circumstances but also out of respect of their Championship opposition. West Ham United and Leicester City were left bloody-nosed last season and Mauricio Pochettino was desperate to ensure he didn’t cause himself unnecessary problems by being complacent.

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A quick tally up before kick-off showed the Chelsea starting XI to be worth around £400million. Rovers didn’t spend 1 per cent of that tally in the summer.

Lewis Travis was the oldest player in the Rovers team at 26. The captain was surrounded by youthful exuberance and they did not go to Stamford Bridge with fear.

In the early stages, they set their stall out to press and press high. They were aggressive and fearless, exactly what Tomason wants his side to be.

‘I can not work with players who are not brave’, he said after the full-time whistle. I don’t think anyone could accuse his Rovers players of that as they hound Chelsea, disregarding the consequences of what could happen if they were bypassed.

By and large, it worked. Chelsea had a few early openings but nothing too serious. Rovers got their second wind and started to play, with Adam Wharton’s influence of proceedings growing.

The midfielder’s position as the deepest man in Rovers’ midfield three has been scrutinised this season but against an opponent of Chelsea’s calibre, it was the perfect place for him. Nobody in the squad can receive the ball under pressure in the same way he can. He was integral to their hopes of successfully playing out from defence, as they insisted on doing.

Rovers fans will be both smug and fearful at the social media reaction to his performance and the hype generating around Premier League clubs. It feels inevitable that he will make the step up to the top-flight. In an ideal world, that will be with Rovers but more performances of that calibre, on that stage, and he may reach that level before his boyhood club.

But that’s part of the plan for Blackburn, as Tomasson openly admitted. Occasions like this are not just learning experiences but shop windows for Rovers’ talent to showcase their credentials to play at the top level. Without such a progressive style of play, Premier League clubs would not see the qualities that are necessary to make the grade a step above.

The cup competitions have been very important to Rovers under Tomasson. Don’t get me wrong, he’s made changes. There were six at Stamford Bridge with the entire midfield and attack rotated. But instead of feeling like an inconvenience, he has created a culture of opportunity instead for these young talents.

Fans are enthused for the cup now too. There were 3,000 away fans having the time of their lives on Wednesday night, cheering every tackle as if it was a last-minute winner. It was some backing considering the miles they’ve put in over the last few away fixtures.

If Rovers can commit to their long-term goal and have a bit more luck with the uncontrollable, such as the Indian tax laws, there’s a blueprint for success. That might feel a bit over the top after a relatively routine 2-0 defeat at Chelsea but the way Rovers competed for portions of the game showed they’re on the right tracks.

They had chances too. Conor Gallagher should’ve conceded a penalty for handball and Harry Leonard should’ve hit the target with Rovers’ best chance of the game, minutes into the second half. He played really well once again, battling against two £40m+ centre-backs and is still developing his goal-scoring qualities. The raw ingredients are there, he’s someone Tomasson can work with and mould.

It’s easy to get sucked into the daily grind of the Championship, the league table, and lose sight of the bigger picture. Those things are important in the short-term but so is style of play, identity and philosophy, which Rovers have nailed under Tomasson.

Things are not perfect at Ewood Park, far from it. They’re still losing £20m a year, as most second-tier clubs are, but they’re certainly not rudderless. There is a plan, a process and hope. That’s something that supporters can get behind and shouldn’t be taken for granted.

In the future, hopefully these trips to Chelsea and Co will not be a rarity. Wednesday night should enthuse fans that they are on the right tracks to making that a reality.