Chelsea took their determination to prove they are not in the title race to a shocking new level on Monday 2-0 defeat away to Ipswich Town.
The Blues never showed up after Liam Delap scored a controversial penalty in the first half, and things went from bad to worse when former Chelsea winger Omari Hutchinson scored the second to hand Enzo Maresca's side a second successive defeat.
How the game unfolded
Ipswich made a brave start and were rewarded for their confidence ten minutes later. Rushing Filip Jorgensen was deemed to have caught Delap as he went out for the ball and a penalty was awarded, the striker making no mistake from 12 yards out.
Jorgensen did well to deny Delap soon after, before Cole Palmer almost leveled the scores from a smart free-kick. The Chelsea talisman saw his effort bounce off the post, and Christopher Nkunku was unable to convert the rebound and instead sent his effort straight to a grateful Christian Walton.
Chelsea thought they had an equalizer in the 24th minute when Felix crept to the back post to head home Palmer's cross, but a two-minute VAR check eventually revealed the Portugal international behind the last defender.
Mark Cucurella crashed wide and Moises Caicedo shone as Chelsea began to take control, and with time ticking down in first-half stoppage time, Palmer made an acrobatic save from Walton, who was relieved to see his side ahead at half-time.
The second half started in the same way. Chelsea took the lead immediately and Felix saw a header cleared off the goal line by Wes Burns.
A woeful pass from Axel Disasi gave former Blue Hutchinson the chance to double his lead against the run of play. The Frenchman sent Delap racing and a clever pass to Hutchinson followed by a brilliant shot into the bottom corner.
Nicholas Jackson was saved from blushing when his one-on-one miss was missed by a late offside flag. It was one of the very few examples of Chelsea actually managing a clear vision of goal, as Ipswich were happy to defend and frustrate the visitors to secure all three points.
2-0 is a result that certainly stunned Ipswich, but the home team undoubtedly had better chances in the game and were good value for the three points.
For Chelsea, this was another example of their inability to break down a stubborn defence. Everton stood firm to thwart the Blues, Fulham did the same, and Ipswich were clearly watching as they perfected their defensive strategy on their way to victory.
Chelsea need to find more sources of creativity. The team has looked stagnant wide and hollow in midfield, with Cole Palmer struggling to control the influence he boasted earlier in the season. Mariska needs to change something to reignite this side.
During his two years at Chelsea, Hutchinson was given a total of 49 minutes before the Blues opted to part ways with the attacking midfielder permanently last summer.
Hutchinson wanted to play for the first team when his loan with Ipswich ended last season. Kieran McKenna has vowed to give him what he wants this season, and the rewards were clear to see here.
In matches like this, big names in small teams often don't get many moments to stand out. Hutchinson may have only had one, but with an exhilarating effort, he made sure to catch it with both hands.
From the first moment, Liam Delap began to make an impact. He competed alongside Tosin Adarabioyo and was more than happy to use his body to cause trouble.
Although it may have been an easy penalty, there was no question of finishing the game. Delap's strike was devastatingly accurate, hitting the bottom corner even though Jorgensen guessed where it was going.
Enzo Maresca did not hide his appreciation for Delap Before the match, his impression of the Leicester striker would only grow here as the young striker ran and ran and ran, bullying the Chelsea defenders and doing everything he could to secure a famous victory.
Maresca has shuffled his starting lineup here, bringing in Jorgensen, Joao Felix and Christopher Nkunku into his usual Premier League line-up.
It was a nightmare start for Jorgensen after winning a penalty, but there's no denying it was smooth. He did his best to atone for it and even made a series of smart saves to try and redeem himself.
Felix put himself out there but struggled to break down a stubborn Ipswich defence, which was more than could be said for Nkunku. The substitute striker was hardly involved in the proceedings and certainly did not take his chances of replacing Nicholas Jackson with any favours.
Chelsea's substitute bench included three right-backs. Reece James returned from injury and sat alongside both Malou Giusto and youngster Josh Acheampong, while centre-back Axel Disasi surprisingly got the nod on the right of Maresca's defence.
On a number of occasions this season, Disasi's underwhelming performances have drawn criticism from fans, and his poor pass that invited Liam Delap into the attack for the second goal did him no favours.
It has been a long time since Chelsea looked settled at right-back. Maresca is desperately waiting for James to finally overcome his injury issues and establish himself as a reliable starter.
