The anxiety from Chelsea's beleaguered boss was clear to see as he sat on the touchline and watched his side get swept away by Manchester City.
Graham Potter has never felt pressure like this in his career after overachieving under relatively low expectations at Ostersund, Swansea and Brighton - though he must have always expected that a moment like this would come after being given the top job at Stamford Bridge.
The Blues' 4-0 hammering at the Etihad has left Potter feeling the heat just four months into his tenure and even the club's fans seem to be turning on him with the club now out of the FA Cup and plummeting down the Premier League table.
Chelsea look lost at present with their talented stars struggling to shine under Potter - who has been savaged by club icon Frank Leboeuf, calling for him to be sacked, while Alan Shearer called his side 'pathetic'.
But his City counterpart Pep Guardiola came out in defence of Potter - urging Chelsea to give him more time in the role.
So, does all of the blame lie at Potter's door - or are there other factors at play that is hampering his start to life in west London? Sportsmail analyses the biggest problems at the club and who else should be held accountable for them.
INJURY CRISIS
Chelsea currently have an incredible TEN players out injured, which has hardly helped Potter's cause of late.
In the last week the Blues have lost three more players to the treatment room after keeper Edouard Mendy fractured his finger in training - adding to Potter's worries having already seen Raheem Sterling and Christian Pulisic limp out of their first defeat to Man City on January 5.
Potter has been without key midfielder N'Golo Kante for a spell while full-backs Ben Chilwell and Reece James have also been unavailable. Wesley Fofana hasn't played since October and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang missed the latest City defeat with a back issue.
Having that many important players missing is hardly ideal for a new manager looking to stamp his mark and he can count himself unlucky.
Sportsmail reported last week that the club's new owners - headed by Todd Boehly - remain as committed to him as when he was fired hired, and injuries will be taken into account.
LACKING A RELIABLE GOALSCORER
Romelu Lukaku underwhelmed after his £98m return to Chelsea and has since gone back to Inter Milan, while Timo Werner has been shipped back to Germany on loan and Aubameyang has been the only out-and-out forward brought in.
But the former Arsenal man - who is now injured - has disappointed since returning to the Premier League from Barcelona, scoring just once in the Premier League - having only started four times so far.
Potter has instead opted to play Kai Havertz to lead the line for Chelsea, but the German's true position is behind the striker and cannot be relied on to offer his boss a regular supply of goals.
It was hoped Sterling would also chip in up front from the wing but he's also struggled to deliver upon expectations since his £47.5m move from Man City last summer. More was hoped from him indeed after he netted 17 goals last season.
At Brighton his team were known for creating plenty of chances but not having a forward who can finish them off. At Chelsea, he has a similar conundrum - and either needs to get more out of Havertz and Aubameyang or convince Boehly to dip back into the market.
TERRIBLE SIGNINGS... AND QUESTIONABLE CONTRACTS
Speaking of dipping into the market - Boehly has already demonstrated a questionable ability of bringing in good signings after his short time at the Bridge so far - splashing out a record £270m on players but without seeing much return.
As mentioned, Sterling is failing to repay that £47.5m fee while Cucurella looks defensively shoddy after the club parted with £56m for his signature.
Wesley Fofana cost the club £70m but his season has been ravaged by injuries - starting just two games so far. That transfer is looking more and more dubious now given his previous injury record.
And defender Kalidou Koulibaly initially looked like a solid addition to the group but his frailties have started to become exposed as the season has gone on. Chelsea paid Napoli £33m and for a 31-year-old he needed to step in immediately and shore things up at the back.
Instead, the Senegal international has been at fault for a number of Chelsea's recent goals - including City's third on Sunday as well as giving away a penalty. He was seen as the man to replace Antonio Rudiger but instead looks like a downgrade.
Boehly should also take the blame for handing him a four-year contract despite his obvious age - and he also gave Aubameyang an 18-month deal.
The American seems to want to give players a chance and build a future - seen by giving Badiashile a seven-and-a-half year deal and a six-and-a-half year contract to Fofana - but more hesitancy is needed in that department.
BOEHLY'S PR DISASTERS
Since Boehly came to the club, there has been a huge magnifying glass on him - can he get Chelsea back to where they once where under Roman Abramovich? Will he do the same smart business and put the club in a position to win trophies?
He's certainly tried to do things his own way, leaning more towards young players and building a project - symbolised with their five-year deal for Potter - but so far there has been more misses than hits if we are to scrutinise him.
Last summer he failed to bring in top target Raphinha from Leeds - with the Brazilian instead joining Barcelona - and in this window he's not managed to snap up Enzo Fernandez from Benfica, despite looking nailed on as favourites to lure him to Stamford Bridge.
But it's not just in the transfer market where Boehly has been found wanting. Together with co-owner Behdad Eghbali - who heads up shareholders Clearlake Capital - the Blues chief has seen a number of potential director of football figures slip from his grasp despite weeks of speculation linking them to each one.
Christopher Vivell was eventually brought in as technical director, alongside Laurence Stewart, but before that Christophe Freund was linked with the post for a long time before ruling himself out of the running.
The Blues had also been linked with former Liverpool chief Michael Edwards but failed to get a deal for him over the line either.
And Boehly also didn't cover himself with glory with his comments about a potential All-Star game. He came under fire for his comments calling for a North vs South Premier League game - with Jamie Carragher calling him 'arrogant' and Gary Neville also taking him to task.
TOP STARS OUT OF FORM AND LACKING LEADERSHIP
During a time of crisis like this, Potter will be looking to his senior figures but they haven't been delivering for him.
Of course it's the manager's responsibility to get performances out of his players, but they have should enough experience and know-how to step up when things aren't going well for the team.
In Lebouef's stinging criticism of the team, he labelled Mason Mount and Havertz as 'gutless' after their poor displays against City and Jorginho also found himself in his sights too.
'The players don't have the will, they don't have the guts, they don't have the courage to fight for their colours. They don't have pride,' he said.
'The players who are forming the spine, they are shameful. They do nothing. I don't know what Kai Havertz is doing. Mason, I love you, but come on! I don't know what Jorginho is doing on the pitch still.'
There's also a clear lack of leadership and passion within the squad. Cesar Azpilicueta looks past it and is not stepping up while Thiago Silva isn't getting any younger either.
Of the players who have survived the injury crisis, hardly anyone looked to be showing the courage and grit to put their body on the line - as seen in their flat display against City.
We're yet to see the Mason Mount of old this season, while Havertz and Mateo Kovacic were hooked at half time and Jorginho also taken off early as Potter looked for players who could make an impact.
POTTTER WORKING WITH A SQUAD THAT ISN'T HIS
There's no doubt that Chelsea have a squad that most managers would love to work with - and one that has had heavy investment - but it's still not one that Potter has crafted himself.
This is a team that has been built up by his predecessor Thomas Tuchel, who had his own idea about how thngs should be done. Meanwhile other players have been brought in by Boehly himself without being requested - Denis Zakaria was reportedly signed without Tuchel's knowledge.
And despite having his former Brighton left-back Marc Cucurella at his disposal, Potter will still be looking at the current window and beyond to get in the players he wants - and those who fit his system best.
The club have already bought Benoit Badiashile, David Datro Fofana and Andrey Santos - but none of them are likely to make an immediate impact and challenge for a first team spot at present.
HIS TEAMS NEED TIME TO CLICK
Historically, Potter has rarely gone into a club and changed things overnight. He has a reputation as a project manager and that's been evident during the first three club roles he's held.
He spent seven years at Swedish side Ostersund, starting in the country's fourth tier in 2010 and achieving promotion to the top tier in 2015 - before getting them into the Europa League.
Potter only spent a year at Swansea and could only muster a 10th placed finish. He got performances out of his top scorer Oli McBurnie - who netted 24 times - but ultimately he struggled for consistency as his team won 18 games, drew 11 and lost 17 times.
He was then given a chance by Brighton - but he battled relegation in his first two seasons and finished 15th and 16th respectively, before eventually improving in his final full season and coming ninth.
For all of his resources at Chelsea, the team need time to understand his philosophy and tactics. His previous sides have shown the patience pays off in the end, but we've seen in the past that patience is in short supply at Chelsea.
But after handing Potter a five-year contract to implement his style on the team, it would be a shock if the board didn't commit to him - especially given how hard they worked to bring both him and his staff to the club from Brighton.