Arsenal, Liverpool, Brighton and Manchester City have all tried, only Brentford, Nottingham Forest and Aston Villa succeeded. Chelsea's backwards season continues.

The Blues have now lost to as many bottom half sides as they have top half and sit firmly in the middle of the league. Their best results and performances have been scintilating, posing as Premier League all-timers, but the worst has been boo-worthy and ultimately befuddling.

What sort of side can put four past Pep Guardiola and Manchester City but go goalless against Forest, Bournemouth and Brentford? Well, this young Chelsea experiment is what. At times it feels that there is little that can actually be done to stop this or that can be learned from it. Teams with average ages of 23 and below are destined for inconsistency.

Break through the team with the most balance and poise that England has perhaps ever seen but then concede from a corner, a penalty, a deflection and a counter-attack that came from possession inside the attacking third. This is what developing looks like in front of your eyes.

It is wild, though, that after 12 games Chelsea are the only team to win 11 matches on xG and the only team to stop them was Thomas Frank's Bees. That is the confusion that hangs at Stamford Bridge but with it is excitement. 'Hold on, we've seen this script before,' many feel when a low-block rocks up and frustrates, but we haven't had the tit-for-tat aggression, punch and counter-punch on show this week.

It is bravery, at times naivety and entirely new for this Chelsea at Stamford Bridge. Luckily this is still just the middle of a long run of testing games to come. Here's the next five that the Blues will face.

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Newcastle United (A) - November 25

Was this the weekend that things changed for Chelsea? It is certainly a week that feels that way. They went toe-to-toe with the two sides that started Saturday first and second, scoring eight times. That's not normal.

The table still has them nine points behind Aston Villa in fifth, that may well be what they need for Champions League qualification anyway, but for an inconsistent side it's a long way off. This weekend, though, Newcastle lost and so did Tottenham. Brighton drew and nobody was entirely convincing - Arsenal had to work to beat Burnley after a tough week of their own, Manchester United scraped past Luton and West Ham won 3-2 for a second time in a row.

So when the break ends and Chelsea travel to St James' Park there should be little trepidation. Newcastle are hit with an injury list that Mauricio Pochettino knows all too much about, they were tired in defeat to Bournemouth and are only four points ahead of the Blues.

This promises to be a battle of sides refusing to give up, don't rule out another humdinger.

Brighton (H) - December 3

This game looks a lot less fearsome than it did a few weeks ago. Brighton have had some big results in Europe of late but can't balance that with league form. Roberto De Zerbi's men have just four points and no wins from their last five games and drew to Sheffield United last time out.

The Blues, for once, got the better of the Seagulls earlier this season in the Carabao Cup, a game that kickstarted their patch of form. If they can do the same again it will be evidence of their improvement.

Manchester United (A) - December 6

It seems laughable that Erik ten Hag's side are actually clear of Chelsea in the table but here we are. United sit four points off fifth somehow and just don't lose to the Blues in recent history either. Two inefficient teams going at it promises to be a spectacle of sorts but not one Chelsea can afford to slip up in.

If they want to show just how good they can be then getting over hurdles like this will be crucial. United are very beatable and Pochettino must make it look like that as well.

Everton (A) - December 10

It says quite a lot that perhaps the most testing games of Chelsea's next run will be against these two opponents rather than the top four/five competitors above. Only teams that have had considerably less possession than Chelsea have actually beaten them this season and Everton and Sheffield United won't complain if that stays the same.

The Toffees themselves are notoriously tricky for the Blues and this has all the hallmarks of bringing back the early ghost of Christmas past at Goodison Park. Perhaps buoyed by the run of good results going before this Chelsea can put their demons to bed but it is certainly a gear change to what they have been up against.

Sheffield United (H) - December 16

A relegation candidate at Stamford Bridge just over a week before Christmas, what could go wrong? This is Chelsea's archetypal worst nightmare in one game. It would feel very Chelsea and very Pochettino to get through to United unbeaten, winning their next three but losing and drawing with Everton and the Blades.

There's little else to say at this stage. Paul Heckingbottom might not be manager by the time we get to this game but it will do little to ease the sense of tension when 11-men set up camp in the box in mid-December.

Manchester United next five fixtures

Everton (A) - November 25

Newcastle (A) - December 2

Chelsea (H) - December 6

Bournemouth (H) - December 9

Liverpool (A) - December 17

Newcastle next five fixtures

Chelsea (H) - November 25

Manchester United (H) - December 2

Everton (A) - December 7

Tottenham (A) - December 10

Fulham (H) - December 16

Tottenham next five fixtures

Aston Villa (H) - Sunday, November 26

Manchester City (A) - Sunday, December 3

West Ham (H) - Thursday, December 7

Newcastle United (H) - Sunday, December 10

Nottingham Forest (A) - Friday, December 15