Chelsea could find themselves fifth on the Premier League table by Monday and their champions league hope gone, after going down 0-3 to Sheffield United.
The result of the match Monday was an unexpected slump for the Londoners after responding to their 3-2 defeat to West Ham on July 1 with back-to-back wins over Watford and Crystal Palace.
On Saturday, they were simply white-washed in south Yorkshire.
David McGoldrick’s first Premier League goal and a header from Oli McBurnie saw the Blades take command in the first half.
The visitors dominated possession but did nothing with it in a dismal display, their misery compounded as McGoldrick doubled his tally 13 minutes from time.
Sheffield are now sixth on the table, while Chelsea’s 3rd place can change in the next 24 hours.
Chelsea are only a point above fourth-place Leicester City and two ahead of Manchester United in fifth.
With Leicester visiting relegation-threatened Bournemouth on Sunday and United hosting Southampton a day later, Chelsea could find themselves toppled from the 3rd position and thrown off Champions League spot by Monday.
They face difficult matches ahead, with Liverpool and Wolves among their final three opponents.