If Thomas Tuchel is frantically getting a handle on for up-sides after this staggering 4-1 loss to Brentford, he can take comfort in the way that essentially it was not against Real Madrid.
Chelsea has the Spanish goliaths in the main leg of their Champions League quarter-last on Wednesday and on the off chance that they are anything as miserable as possible this, they can say farewell to the prize they won in Porto last May.
This was a total implosion of terrific extents - the European bosses experiencing the mother of all headaches after Antonio Rudiger's shocking 35-yard objective provoked unruly festivals.
From that point, it went downhill significantly, with Chelsea's players left dazed as Brentford scored three of every 10 minutes and afterward added a fourth in the end arranges.
The meeting fans cheered, singing: "We need five" and "Would we be able to play you consistently?"
Maybe most relevant was the serenade: "We are remaining up!"Victory for Thomas Frank's side everything except got Premier League wellbeing and, immediately, took Chelsea's brains off discuss takeovers and assents.
A day that began with fans gathering for a disappointing dissent against the Ricketts family's offer to purchase the club, finished with a loss that will provoke soul-looking before Real.
The Champions League is the need - and Chelsea can't bear to protect in such a slipshod way against Carlo Ancelotti's side or waste such countless open doors in the last third.
This was their heaviest loss of the period - the second heaviest of Tuchel's rule subsequent to losing 5-2 to West Brom last season.
That was similarly surprising and one more certain for Tuchel will be the reality his side recuperated adequately after that to assemble a run that saw them arrive at the finals of the FA Cup and Champions League - prior to proceeding to be delegated rulers of European.
This is an instance of gripping at straws since there will be practically nothing to give the German solace after such a sobering encounter.
He will have been frightened by the way where his players neglected to answer Brentford's invasion after Rudiger's piledriver three minutes after halftime.
His protection was tired out, with Cesar Azpilicueta especially uncovered.
At the opposite end, Kai Havertz was at real fault for squandering two once-in-a-lifetime kinds of chances to get them back into the match - neglecting to hit the objective on one or the other event - and Timo Werner was baffled once more.
They will in all likelihood return to a 3-4-3 arrangement against Real - subsequent to playing a level back four that was tired out.
It was a day of bogus day breaks at Stamford Bridge and an update that nothing is ever normal, all things considered.
Dissent against the Ricketts nearly went by without notice as scarcely 100 fans assembled external the ground before starting off.
Inside, plans to raise a pennant it was rejected to go against the American family.
Rudiger's strike, which cut within the post on its far beyond David Raya, ought to have set up a thirteenth dominate in 14 matches. All things being equal, it started the dourest of games into life and avoided Chelsea frantically thrashing as it immediately got with regards to their control.
Vitaly Janelt impacted past Edouard Mendy two minutes in the wake of going behind, with Cesar Azpilicueta hauled out of position.
On 54 minutes Christian Eriksen proceeded with his own fantasy, cutting over Mendy from short proximity.
Janelt struck again on the hour to make it 3-1.
Chelsea got their opportunities to get once again into the game however Havertz terminated wide when one-on-one with Raya and afterward headed wide from only six yards out.
Such wickedness can't be anticipated to go unpunished against Real.
Chelsea's hopelessness was finished when Yoane Wissa struck two minutes in the wake of coming on as a substitute.
It was a day to forget for Tuchel - and most certainly not one to rehash on Wednesday night.
blogpay
