Chelsea legend Pat Nevin has reacted to Thomas Tuchel's side's loss to Everton last weekend.
A first-half strike by Richarlison fired the Toffees to victory in front of their fans and boosted their survival hopes.
With Everton currently embroiled in a relegation fight, their victory over Chelsea came as a shock to most fans and pundits. But Nevin was not surprised by the result and he attributed it to the off-field issues at Stamford Bridge.
Writing in a column on the club's official website, the 58-year-old opined that Everton's battle for survival has everyone associated with the club facing a common goal. This goes in contrast to Chelsea, who are facing an uncertain future surrounding their ownership.
''Security and certainty are rarely bad things to have at a football club and that is the case now. This delay is not an abuse of anyone. As we all know ‘act in haste and repent at your leisure’ is more than just a cliché, it is a serious and sensible warning, but many fans who rarely missed games have not been able to go. There are people who worked for and at the club whose jobs have been impacted and some may even be lost forever.''
''It was very noticeable at the weekend how a club that can be focused on one single aim can lift the 11 out on the field. Goodison Park and the Everton fans were a force to be reckoned with and certainly helped the players in their moment of dire need. That was the sight of an entire institution focused on one thing, winning.''
Chelsea will be aiming to bounce back from the disappointing defeat when they host Wolverhampton Wanderers on Saturday. Everton will travel to face Leicester City a day later.
Chelsea's poor end-of-season form could dampen what has been a solid campaign
Chelsea started the season with great hopes and their status as European champions meant a lot was expected from them this term.
They started the season brightly enough and were still in the title race at the midway point of the campaign.
However, the turn of the year brought several challenges, with Romelu Lukaku's unsanctioned interview revealing his discomfort at the club. Things have not been the same for the club's record signing since then, while off-field issues have also hampered their progress.
The most pressing concern surrounds the club's ownership, with Roman Abramovich facing severe sanctions for his ties to the Russian government.
This has concordantly seen a huge drop in performances on the field of play, with Chelsea winning just two of their last six league matches.
Their poor form has seen the likes of Arsenal and Tottenham gain ground on them in the race for the top four which seemed unlikely a few weeks ago.
With an FA Cup final against a rampant Liverpool side on the horizon, Thomas Tuchel has to get his side firing again or they risk ending the season on a whimper.