Chelsea’s loss away at the champions Manchester City confirmed their lowest points total in the Premier League era.
The Blues performed a guard of honour for Pep Guardiola’s champions and then watched them lift the Premier League trophy at the Etihad Stadium.
Julian Alvarez scored the only goal of the match for the second string side to confirm Chelsea’s lowest ebb.
Frank Lampard’s side will now only be able to claim a maximum of 49 points, lower than the record lows of 50 points set in both the 1995-96 and 2015-16 seasons.
They will also need to score more than 10 goals in their last two games, away at Manchester United and at home to Newcastle, to avoid their lowest-ever goal tally during the Premier League era.
Chelsea’s starting line-up boasted just 23 goals on the pitch at the Etihad Stadium despite playing their strongest team against Man City, who made nine changes and still had 27 goals on the pitch.
Their 36 goals in the league is exactly the same as Erling Haaland’s league figure this season.
Lampard had already overseen his side’s record-high number of defeats in a single season and needs to win both of his final two matches to also avoid a record-low number of wins.
Chelsea will also likely finish the furthest they’ve ever finished behind the champion in the Premier League era, the gap currently sitting at 45 points.
Man City also earned their fourth win in a row against Chelsea for the first time in either club’s history.
It only highlights just how much work Mauricio Pochettino needs to do when he is eventually appointed.
Although the Blues had chances to equalise, including a Conor Gallagher header that hit the post, their struggles against a second-string XI only highlights the feeling that they are desperate for this season to end.
And all of this from a club which has spent £600million across the last two transfer windows. Pochettino offers a fresh start, and will hope the stink of this season doesn’t last too long.
