Christmas is over, and so is any optimism about Chelsea's title hopes after dropping more points at home to Brighton earlier this week. When your own manager throws in the towel, things start to look bleak indeed.
Chelsea's season is in danger of being derailed by injuries and Covid - and that spate of bad luck has translated to the pitch, which has seen some poor displays.
The Blues have drawn three of their last five league games - all against teams in mid-table - with their tendency to capitulate costing them dear. They've now dropped 11 points from winning positions this season - that's already more than they surrendered in the whole of the last campaign, which was 10.
Chelsea's Premier League title bid is at risk of collapsing already after some poor form
Thomas Tuchel appeared to wave the white flag in the race for the league crown this week
So worrying signs for Chelsea, and you would have to wonder if they would have produced this record had their £98million signing Romelu Lukaku hadn't suffered a hamstring injury, or had his side not been hit by one of the worst Covid outbreaks in the top flight.
Whatever the case, it just isn't working out for Chelsea this season, despite making such a promising start by winning four of their first five games. They are eight points behind Manchester City and now dealt another cruel injury blow - Reece James limping out of the Brighton clash on crutches, following news that Ben Chilwell is out for the season after an ACL injury.
Tuchel - tipped by so many to bring home the Premier League this term after clinching the Champions League last season - appears to have given up hope of title glory following the draw with the Seagulls. He insists the team would be 'stupid' to think they are still in the running with injury and Covid woes racking up.
'How should we be in [the race]?' he said after the 1-1 stalemate. 'We have seven Covid cases. We have five or six players out for six or more weeks. How should we compete in a title race?
Chelsea have squandered 11 points from winning positions in a decline of defensive stability
'Everyone else who has a full squad, everybody in training has the full power to come through this league.
'We would be stupid to think we can do it out of Covid and injuries and just play, and everybody would be stupid to do it without 23 fit players.'
For proof of Chelsea's plight, look no further than the stats from their draw with Brighton. Graham Potter's men, down in 10th place and with just one win in their last 13 matches, managed more shots than the home side.
So it wasn't a massive
