Chelsea’s slump has entered the record books after the club recorded its worst scoring drought since 1912, following a 3-0 defeat to Brighton & Hove Albion on Tuesday.
This latest result extends their run to five consecutive Premier League matches without scoring, matching a sequence last seen more than a century ago.
It also marked their fifth straight defeat, their longest losing run in the league since 1993.
The scale of the decline places the current side among the club’s poorest runs in the modern era.
For a club of Chelsea’s standing, the numbers underline the seriousness of the situation.
Chelsea’s problems in front of goal were evident again as they failed to register a shot on target until the 40th minute.
Across the five-game run, the team have struggled to create clear chances and their attacking play has lacked cohesion, with limited movement and poor decision-making in the final third.
The first-half expected goals figure of 0.04 against Brighton reflected the lack of threat.
The inability to convert possession into chances has become a defining feature of their recent matches.
While the scoring drought has drawn attention, defensive lapses have also played a part in Chelsea’s struggles.
The team have now gone 12 league matches without a clean sheet.
Set-piece defending remains a concern, with 11 goals conceded from corners this season.
That figure matches their joint-highest total in a Premier League campaign and problems at both ends of the pitch have combined to extend the current run.
Head coach Liam Rosenior said the performance was down to basics rather than tactics.
“It was unacceptable in every aspect of the game, unacceptable in our attitude.
“I keep coming out and defending the players – that’s indefensible, that performance tonight.
“The manner of the goals we conceded, the amount of duels that we lost, the lack of intensity in the team. Something needs to change drastically right now.
“I think the players need to have a look in the mirror for what they put in. You can talk about tactics… tactics come after the basics,” he said.
Chelsea have now won just one of their last nine league matches.
They sit seven points behind Liverpool FC in the race for a top-five finish.
Their hopes of qualifying for the Champions League are under threat as the season nears its end.
Supporters have begun to show frustration, with chants directed at the team and manager during the Brighton defeat.
Attention now turns to the FA Cup semi-final against Leeds United as Chelsea look to end a run that has already entered the club’s history for the wrong reasons.
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