Alan Shearer suggests Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich may have Antonio Conte bunkered down in the wake of the weekend's defeat.
The Blues lost 3-0 to Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium in what was a poor display that saw the West Londoners drop to eighth on the Premier League table.
The defeat comes a week after it was reported that Abramovich had an emergency late night meeting in the wake of the 2-1 home loss to Liverpool, leading Shearer to believe that there could be a crisis on the cards at Stamford Bridge.
He wrote in his column for The Sun: “Chelsea will have begun the new season with renewed confidence.
“A brand new manager who would run shoulder to shoulder alongside Pep Guardiola and Jose Mourinho in the tactical marathon that is the Premier League.
“Well Antonio Conte is three points off Mourinho and eight behind Guardiola after a second successive league defeat.
“This one, the 3-0 loss at Arsenal, more alarming than the last at home to Liverpool.
“If Roman Abramovich was having an emergency meeting after that 2-1 loss to Jurgen Klopp's men he will have the whole board and management in a bunker after this.
“It has been the very nature of Chelsea in the Abramovich era that the manager will now be under big pressure.
“Sounds absurd when we are still in September but this is an owner with no patience.
“Even less now probably after they finished last season halfway down the table."