Chelsea will be glad to see the back of a miserable December.
In their final November match, they drew with Arsenal at Stamford Bridge, dominating the league leaders despite being reduced to 10 men in the 38th minute, when they were only six points behind the Gunners.
Now, Chelsea sit closer to 15th-placed Bournemouth than third-placed Aston Villa, having squandered a two-goal lead against Villa three days ago.
Having led here, they have now lost a league-high 15 points from winning positions. Before this game, the Blues were 13th in the home form table - little wonder some fans booed at the final whistle.
This run of one win in seven league matches has taken Chelsea from the Premier League elite to what some describe as the division's 'middle class'. In a tight table, Chelsea - along with arguably a dozen other clubs - are fighting for European places.
Their target remains Champions League qualification, and an upturn in form could quickly put them back on track.
They will hope 2026 brings improvement, though a trip to Manchester City without Moises Caicedo – suspended after his fifth booking of the season – looks a daunting start.
