Aston Villa edged a step closer towards their seemingly inevitable relegation on Saturday, being thumped 4-0 on their own turf by Chelsea at Stamford Bridge on Saturday.
Despite having double the amount of shots Chelsea had during the first half, the game was over by half-time, Alexandre Pato converting a penalty after Ruben Loftus-Cheek opened the scoring.
The floodgates were open, and Guus Hiddink's side continued to rack up the goals in the second half. Pedro was the man who capitalised on more woeful Villa defending, grabbing a brace himself to take Chelsea's total to four.
Things hadn't looked promising for the home side from the outset, as caretaker manager Eric Black picked a side resembling much of the team that has won just three league games a season.
Sorry afternoon for lacklusture Villa
They did hold out for over 25 minutes, the odd shot from the likes of Jordan Ayew and Alan Hutton flying wide, before Ruben Loftus-Cheek got his first Chelsea league goal to open the scoring.
Cesar Azpilicueta got down the byline on the right hand side, angling a low ball across which was converted by Loftus-Cheek after a slight deflection. If the youngster getting a goal for the Blues showed his bright future, it was in stark contrast to Villa's fortunes, with their heads dropping as the Championship awaits.
Pato, coming on for the injured Loic Remy, didn't have to wait long for a debut goal himself, tucking away a superb penalty just before the break - beating Brad Guzan despite the American diving the right way. He'd won the penalty himself, dragged down by Aly Cissokho as a cross came into the area.
Things were just as bad in the second half
There were only two minutes of playing time, plus the half-time interval, between the second and third Chelsea goal, which came in the 47th minute.
Substitutes Oscar and Pato linked up with each other, before the former played in Pedro from close range - the Spaniard converting with minimal trouble after some lovely build up play.
Brad Guzan has been back in the team for some weeks now, Mark Bunn perhaps unfairly dropped following the 6-0 defeat against Liverpool. Bunn might feel that he's got a chance of sneaking back in now, after Guzan's error helped Pedro grab his second.
Oscar played it to Pato, who opened up his body from the edge of the area and sent a fairly routine shot at Guzan. However, the 'keeper didn't catch, instead parrying the ball not very far at all, Pedro the first to react to prod the ball home.
Although that was the last goal conceded, there was time for things to get slightly worse, as Alan Hutton was sent off before the end of proceedings. Booked earlier in the game, he lunged in on Loftus-Cheek with a late challenge, leaving Neil Swarbrick with little choice other than to send him down the tunnel.