How is it that Chelsea are top of the Premier League and yet it feels like things might be starting to go wrong?
While we can of course take solace in Edouard Mendy's world-class display against Brentford on Saturday evening, few Chelsea fans have been naive enough to overlook the fact the Blues were given a real run for their money by their newly-promoted neighbours.
Defeats at home and abroad prior to the international break helped take the shine off a squad that almost had a sense of invincibility about them, having picked themselves up off the canvas upon Thomas Tuchel's arrival to be crowned Champions League winners. Then, one of the fiercest strikers in Europe arrived.
Murmurs of discontent around Tuchel's style of play and his seeming inability to get the best out of Romelu Lukaku haven't helped matters, and you know you're really feeling sorry for yourself when moves made by other clubs begin to feel like they're going against you.
You'd have to have been living under a rock for the past few weeks to not have heard the news of Newcastle United's takeover and, on Wednesday morning, Steve Bruce was finally put out of his misery when his St James' Park departure was confirmed.
In truth, the 'Bruce has left Newcastle' newspaper columns will likely have been drafted out the second Mike Ashley's exit was announced, but what has any of this got to do with Chelsea?
Newcastle's next home game in front of their raucous fans is against the Blues. Of course it is.
While nothing is yet set in stone, you'd have to think that given the fact Bruce stuck around for the Magpies' first game post-takeover, the new owners were only ever intending to part ways with their manager once a replacement was sourced.
It's been confirmed that Graeme Jones will lead the club on an interim basis until a new manager is appointed, but it's widely expected that a permanent appointment will be made swiftly.
Given the mounting pressure on Bruce to cut ties with Newcastle prior to Wednesday's announcement, had he been in charge for Chelsea's trip to Tyneside a week on Saturday, I have absolutely no doubt that Tuchel's men would have been able to dominate the ball and frustrate the crowd.
Once the inevitable grumbles from the stands started to surface, we'd have simply been able to pick Newcastle apart as their players began to feel the heat of the crowd and pushed further forward.
Bruce's departure means the picture has changed entirely.
Even if Newcastle haven't appointed a new boss by the time Chelsea visit St James' Park, the atmosphere is going to be electric as Geordies celebrate the bookend of a period most fans would describe as one of the worst in their history.
While the Toon Army can be just as much of a hindrance as a help at times, there's no denying they've got the ability to build a cacophony of noise that can spur their team on - a quality that was underlined by their blistering start at home to Tottenham as they celebrated their takeover last weekend.
Chelsea's trip to Newcastle had the look of a routine away day at 10:30am on Wednesday morning. Just a few minutes later, with Bruce's reign terminated, it suddenly looked like one of the trickiest tests of the season.
Should the European champions still have enough to overcome a side with Joelinton on the wing? Obviously. Has their trip to the north east next weekend just turned into a massive banana skin that has the potential to knock their Premier League title bid? Absolutely.
Oh, by the way, did I mention Antonio Conte has been linked with the Newcastle job? I'll say no more.
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