Pep Guardiola had been having a car crash of a week.
First the Manchester City manager lost £50million left-back Benjamin Mendy for the season with ruptured knee ligaments.
Then the late-night taxi driver taking Sergio Aguero to Amsterdam airport after a pop concert took a wrong turn, lost control of his vehicle and wrapped the Argentine striker around a lamppost nursing a broken rib.
But just as it looked like the wheels might be about to fall off City's campaign, the team Guardiola insists has the character as well the class to make a genuine title challenge did him proud.
Forget the narrow scoreline, so beautifully secured by Kevin de Bruyne's gorgeous strike.
City were so much better than the champions on their own Stamford Bridge patch that at times even Antonio Conte forgot about performing his usual touchline histrionics and just stood and watched in wonder.
“Chelsea reject,” taunted City's delirious supporters, reminding the home fans that the Belgian once wore a darker shade of blue but wasn't considered good enough.
But perhaps a more telling chant came from inside the visitors' dressing room after the final whistle as the match-winner's team-mates serenaded him with a rendition of 'One Kevin de Bruyne.'
Twelve months ago this week, City's title dream began to wither with the Autumn leaves.
They were lucky to get away with just a 2-0 defeat at Tottenham. Then they dropped points in three of their next four games.
When Chelsea went to the Etihad the following month, survived an hour-long pummelling and won 3-1, City's race was done.
A title fight that was supposed to be between Guardiola and Jose Mourinho ended with City in third and Manchester United in sixth as Conte ended his first campaign at Stamford Bridge as a champion.
Guardiola hailed the Italian as the best coach in the world after Conte became the first manager to beat him home and away in the same season.
The Catalan also insisted he had learned a harsh lesson about the realities of English football – yet his pass, move and pass again philosophy remains exactly the same.
City dominated both games against Chelsea last season – and came away with zero points.
It must have seemed like Groundhog Day for Guardiola as the visitors had the champions stretched on the rack for the first 45 minutes.
With full-backs Kyle Walker and Fabian Delph pushed in-field, Cesc Fabregas, N'Golo Kante and Tiemoue Bakayaro were chasing the shadows of De Bruyne and David Silva.
But Chelsea dug into survive.
Silva was denied by Thibaut Courtois and the Chelsea keeper excelled to beat away Fernandinho's meaty header.
And when Alvaro Morata limped off in the 35th minute it was telling that when Conte replaced him with Brazilian midfelder Willian.
At one point early in the second half, the home fans got excited when their team strung three forward passes together in succession.
Eden Hazard did finally bring Ederson into the action just after the hour with an angled drive.
But the tiny degree of control Chelsea had was temporary.
And when De Bruyne got a clear sight of Courtois' goal after exchanging passes with Jesus Gabriel in the 66th minute he left his fellow Belgian clawing at thin air as he let fly with a left-foot shot from 20 yards that found the top corner.
Conte moaned afterwards that his men had been left drained by their midweek heroics to win at Atletico Madrid.
And City would have scored again had Jesus Gabriel's volley not been brilliantly diverted off the line by Antonio Rudiger.
City's win was still enough to ensure that Manchester United's stay at the top lasted no more than a couple of hours.
Last season, they picked up just two points from their games against the rest of the top four.
Seven games in this time and they have already thrashed Liverpool by five and won at Chelsea.