By now we are all painfully aware of the numbers.
A club that has prided itself on making history for all of the right reasons since Roman Abramovich rolled into town, suddenly finds itself having to make peace with the fact that the tide has turned against them into spectacular fashion.
No-one could have seen this coming. After all, this sort of thing just does not happen to reigning champions – especially those working under the watchful eye of one Mr J Mourinho.
Humble pie has, however, been the order of the day at Stamford Bridge far too frequently of late, with the west London natives growing tired of the taste and looking forward to supplementing that dish with some Brussels sprouts over the Christmas period – a day they never thought they would see!
This is what life has become, though, with the football gods conspiring against a side that have continuously been told that things will ‘come good’, that they are too fine a team to become stuck in a rut and that the struggles of autumn – now winter – will be followed by the joys of spring.
If that corner is to be turned, then it needs to happen quickly.
Two points above the relegation zone, 17 adrift of top spot and slipping by the week within football betting markets focused on top-four finishes, it is safe to say that the 2015/16 campaign has become something of a disaster.
Despite the issues surrounding Chelsea and the inability to have any confidence placing bets on the Blues you can still bet on World cup odds 2018 and hope you do better when the Russian’s hold the event for the first time on home soil.
Chelsea have become an easy target, a club to kick when they are down by all of those jealous of the riches and trophy parades that have been lavished upon their part of the world over the course of the last decade.
Few of those inside the camp have risen to the bait, but there must be a feeling inside the corridors of power and around the training centre at Cobham that Lady Luck has deserted them in their hour of need.
Part of the problem has been of their own making – nobody is questioning that – with Jamie Redknapp pointing out during Sky Sports’ coverage of Saturday’s 1-0 defeat to Bournemouth that the Blues have become embroiled in their own sporting soap opera – one to rival that of their cross-capital neighbours over in the East End.
There have, however, been numerous instances this season which have left Mourinho and co scratching their heads and wondering what they have done to deserve such misfortune.
Outside of the facts and figures being bandied about regarding worst starts and most defeats by a certain Portuguese manager, it is interesting to note that Chelsea have been involved in more contentious decisions this season than any other side.
And it is not even a close run thing, with the Blues six clear of the chasing pack on 13 for the campaign – from only 15 fixtures.
Among them will be Glenn Murray’s winner at the Bridge last weekend – netted from a very tight, but still offside position – and any of the incidents which left Mourinho’s blood boiling at Upton Park in October and landed him a hefty fine and stadium ban.
Clutching at straws and making excuses? Maybe, but there is little an out-of-sorts side can do if they are also having to contend with factors out of their control such as the decision-making of referees and their assistants.