Chelsea's loss to Brentford was so out of the blue, it's difficult to know just how much to take from it.
While the European champions were clearly nowhere near their best in the 4-1 defeat at Stamford Bridge, they came up against an opponent that were ruthless in their finishing and executed a gameplan to perfection. Thomas Tuchel also lamented the profligacy of his own players throughout.
Chelsea cannot afford to dwell on the defeat anyway, as a colossal Champions League quarter-final first leg awaits them this week. They host Real Madrid at the Bridge, where fans will be ready to provide a lively backdrop and no doubt an uplift in performance from Saturday.
Mirror Sport have your latest Chelsea headline ahead of an enormous week for the Blues in Europe.
Should Blues fans be concerned by the nature of the defeat against Brentford? Let us know in the comments section below!
Martinez drops Lukaku warning
Belgium manager Roberto Martinez has hinted that Romelu Lukaku is not guaranteed a starting spot for his country, as speculation regarding his future continues to simmer.
Despite making a big-money move from Inter Milan ahead of the season, the striker has failed to find his best form and is currently not guaranteed a starting spot under Tuchel, with Kai Havertz seemingly his preferred choice to lead the line.
Martinez was asked about his Belgium squad for the upcoming World Cup and made reference to Lukaku's position after a challenging season back in the Premier League.
"I’m not going to judge or assess the condition of any player until after the summer because it is not a normal situation. It is still seven months to the World Cup and probably you will go into the details of how a player feels when it gets closer to it than now.
"But there will be a lot of players who change clubs or are going to feel in a different way in the summer. Romelu needs to be assessed on how he feels in September, the same way Eden Hazard does and some others. But he is one of the players for whom the summer could be a big moment for their careers."
Read the story in full HERE.
Silva's wife hits out at critics
Thiago Silva's wife has called for "respect" to be shown for the 37-year-old defender after Chelsea's shock loss on Saturday.
The Brazilian has been a colossus for Chelsea since signing, although he didn't enjoy one of his better games in the defeat by the Bees. Afterwards, his wife Belle took to Instagram to stick up for her other half after she heard critical commentary of the veteran defender.
"I'm here in my box at Stamford Bridge," she said. "I just listened back to the commentary right now and what the commentator said. 'Thiago is not attacking enough.'
"Respect him, please. Thiago Silva arrived yesterday as he played for Brazil. Thiago Silva is very tired, and he's 37-years-old. He's played since he was 20-years-old so respect to him- he's not a machine, he's human, so he needs to relax, alright."
Read the story in full HERE.
Tuchel going through separation
Tuchel is said to have separated from his wife of 13 years.
The Chelsea boss and his wife Sissi are said to have agreed to an amicable split and started divorce proceedings recently.
Sissi is said to have moved to England in August, with the pair purchasing a family home in Surrey, close to the Blues' Cobham training facility.
"Sissi and Thomas have tried to avoid splitting but in the end, there was no other way," a source told the Mail on Sunday. "It is very sad and now it is all about making sure their daughters are the top priority. Papers were lodged last week to get the divorce underway."
Read the story in full HERE.
