The presence of new head coach Liam Rosenior failed to inspire 10-man Chelsea to victory at neighbours Fulham as their five-match winless run continued following a painful defeat at Craven Cottage.
Marc Cucurella's 22nd-minute red card for pulling back Harry Wilson proved all too damaging for interim boss Calum McFarlane despite Liam Delap's second-half equaliser on the banks of the Thames.
The hosts had taken the lead through Raul Jimenez's header but Delap did force the Blues level with his first Premier League goal for the club on 72 minutes.
But just as Chelsea began to build momentum, Fulham made them pay up the other end when Harry Wilson continued his red-hot form with a brilliant goal that would eventually prove to be the winner.
football.london analyses five things Rosenior must tackle as he gears up for his first game in charge of the Blues at Charlton Athletic on Saturday evening.
Disciplinary issues continue
It's a grim record that simply must be diffused if Chelsea are to make progress before the end of the season.
Marc Cucurella's dismissal was the Blues' eighth red card of the season if you also include Enzo Maresca's in the 2-1 win over Liverpool in early October.
Not only that but Chelsea also had three players - Enzo Fernandez, Cole Palmer and Tosin Adarabioyo - cautioned before Fulham took the resulting free-kick.
It's hard to know what they were complaining about because Peter Bankes was left with no choice.
Once you're reduced to 10 men, particularly 22 minutes into a game, the tactical blueprint goes completely out of the window.
Palmer position conundrum
A persistent groin issue and a stubbed toe have prevented Cole Palmer from replicating the sparkling form he displayed at the Club World Cup and in his opening two seasons at Stamford Bridge.
But he now seems to be making strides with his fitness, so soon we should see an upturn in his efficiency.
It's clear Palmer is still lacking sharpness but there also seems to be some deliberation about where he should play.
He was excellent from the right flank in his debut campaign in west London but has since sparkled as a No.10, however, interim head coach Calum McFarlane moved him back to the right in the second half of the 1-1 draw at Manchester City to credible effect.
The England international was back on the right at Craven Cottage but he suffered considerably from a lack of quality service.
Even when he did receive the ball, he was so far from goal that he was unable to make use of it besides a brilliant run and shot that was saved by Bernd Leno on 70 minutes.
Rosenior has to find a way of reshaping the team around Palmer - whether that's in a central or wide role - because when Chelsea play to his strengths, they're a different animal.
Unlocking beast within Delap
Liam Delap's contributions, or lack of, were starting to become an issue for the Blues, who need more from their rugged striker, prior to his crucial equaliser.
Delap has character, he relishes a physical duel but more often that not, he's more interested in wrestling with opposition centre-backs.
His touch and ability to do the basics is sometimes questionable and if he's to be a successful Chelsea No.9, he needs to sharpen up that side of his game.
Again, he's a player that is often too far away from the goal to make an impact but when he's in the box, his presence often causes chaos.
One of Delap's best attributes is attacking space but we haven't seen enough of that to date and remarkably, that was only his first Premier League goal for Chelsea.
Rosenior got a tune out of Joaquin Panichelli, another big striker, at Strasbourg so hopefully for Chelsea's sake, he follows suit with the £30million summer signing as this was definitely something to build upon.
Supporter frustration
It's only natural that there will be quarters of Chelsea's fanbase that resent the club for parting company with Enzo Maresca.
Rosenior will need to win over supporters with performances and results as his charm and charisma may only stretch so far.
It was apparent this evening that there is huge disconnect amongst fans as the travelling faithful directed strong-worded chants towards Behdad Eghbali.
Eghbali was sat next to Rosenior in the Riverside Stand and those chants definitely would have been audible.
Rosenior knows full well what he is walking into but the challenges are part of the beauty of managing one of the biggest clubs in world football.
It was a masterstroke he didn't step in eagerly tonight as the FA Cup clash at Charlton Athletic, with more preparation, was a far safer bet.
Leaky backline
Chelsea have now kept just two clean sheets in their past 11 matches in all competitions.
Generally, their defensive record isn't bad in the Premier League this season as only Arsenal and Manchester City have conceded less goals.
Tonight, the Blues were obviously not helped by the red card but still, they looked incredibly vulnerable and were stretched by veteran Raul Jimenez.
Fulham are now level on points with Chelsea and they went for the jugular against their neighbours because they truly believed they were there for the taking.
Even though the visitors had a man less, it's not a good characteristic that the opposition could smell blood.
Robert Sanchez was flying about his goal and while he did make a number of saves, he still doesn't breathe huge confidence into Chelsea's backline.
Centre-backs Tosin and Trevoh Chalobah were also poor, once again.
