Chelsea 2-1 Stoke City
Chelsea pulled off a sensational late fightback to ease the pressure on under-fire boss Luiz Felipe Scolari.
The Blues looked on the way to their third home league defeat of the season until substitute Juliano Belletti equalised in the 87th minute.
Frank Lampard then grabbed an unlikely winner in stoppage-time to cap his 400th appearance for the club in style.
The victory keeps Chelsea in the title hunt and will take some of the heat off their Brazilian coach.
Scolari's plight has not been helped by the loss of England midfielder Joe Cole with a knee injury for the rest of the season and John Terry's back problem in the pre-match warm-up meant he was unable to play.
But Scolari's public feud with Ivorian striker Didier Drogba appears to have backfired on him as he would have provided just the kind of cutting edge lacked by the Blues.
Since beating Sunderland 5-0 at the start of November, Chelsea had only managed home wins over CFR Cluj and West Brom.
They should have taken the lead in the 23rd minute but once again their attacking frailties were exposed.
It was perhaps unfortunate for Scolari that Frank Lampard's free-kick landed at the feet of Salomon Kalou instead of top scorer Nicolas Anelka.
The Ivorian failed to show the kind of coolness Anelka has been displaying this season and shot high over from just six yards.
Florent Malouda then had a shot charged down, then Anelka was unlucky not to take his tally for the season to 18 goals when his shot on the turn was superbly parried by Thomas Sorensen.
Stoke suffered a blow in the 32nd minute when defender Danny Higginbotham went off injured to be replaced by Andy Griffin.
In the 35th minute a superb run by Lampard helped set up Malouda on the left flank and his cross was destined for the head of Anelka until Sorensen's fingertips intervened.
Scolari's pitchside animation was a joy to behold from outstretched arms aimed at the fourth official to the scratching of his head at misplaced passes.
But despite his various gestures, his side were still lacking the cutting edge the axed Drogba would have certainly provided.
That fact was underlined in the 41st minute when a corner from Lampard was met at the far post by Anelka - - but his header was caught by Sorensen.
Two minutes before the break the Dane pulled off another great save when he tipped a vicious left-foot shot from Ashley Cole over the crossbar - and seconds later he produced another stunning save to stop a volley from Lampard.
Chelsea should have taken the lead in the 50th minute but an unmarked Ballack sent an eight-yard header the wrong side of the post following good work by Malouda.
Stoke managed to engineer a chance for new signing James Beattie in the 57th minute but the striker's attempted lob over Petr Cech was just too high.
It was a timely portent as Stoke stunned Chelsea with an opening goal in the 59th minute.
Beattie superbly chested the ball down and fed the onrushing Delap, who ran into the penalty area and held off the challenge of Alex before calmly slotting the ball over the advancing Cech.
It was a goal completely against the run of play - and another example of Chelsea's poor defending.
Scolari's reaction was to replace Malouda with Franco Di Santo but Stoke almost added a second goal when Cech flapped and missed a long throw from Delap.
However, Matthew Etherington just could not turn quickly enough to try his luck at an open goal and Chelsea cleared the danger.
Moments later Chelsea wasted another chance when Lampard shot wide from an acute angle after Anelka had put him clear.
Then Cole, found superbly by Anelka, fired a left-foot shot inches wide of the far post with Sorensen beaten.
Chelsea piled on the pressure with substitute Di Santo causing Stoke problems on the right flank - and with an embarrassing defeat on the cards, they produced the great escape.
First a cross from Kalou was headed back into the six-yard box by Di Santo and Belletti, on for Jose Bosingwa, converted from close range.
Then in stoppage-time, Lampard seized his chance to send a 20-yard shot beyond Sorensen for the winner.

BPL: Hull City 1-3 Arsenal
Arsenal struck twice late in the game to see off battling Hull and keep pace with the Barclays Premier League top four.
Hull had looked set to frustrate the Gunners for the second time this season when Daniel Cousin cancelled out Emmanuel Adebayor's first-half opener after 65 minutes.
But the KC Stadium visitors produced a strong finish and snatched victory with goals in the final nine minutes from Samir Nasri and substitute Nicklas Bendtner.
It was the perfect response from the Gunners after wins earlier in the day from Manchester United, Chelsea and Aston Villa.
It also extended their unbeaten run to eight games and avenged their shock loss to Hull at the Emirates Stadium in September, when Cousin had been the match-winner.
Those heady days seem a long time ago now for Hull, who despite their encouraging display, have now lost their last five league outings.
Adebayor's goal, only his third in nine games, initially seemed to justify his inclusion in an unchanged Arsenal side ahead of Bendtner, the match-winning substitute against Bolton last week.
Hull fielded an unfamiliar line-up. After playing an under-strength side in the midweek FA Cup win at Newcastle, six changes were not unexpected but Ryan France and Peter Halmosi surprisingly retained their places.
There was a debut for new signing Kevin Kilbane at left-back while Friday's loan recruit from Manchester United, Manucho, was on the bench.
France's unexpected start, after spending most of the campaign in the reserves, meant he became the fourth Hull player to play in all four divisions for the club.
Geovanni, scorer of Hull's first goal at the Emirates, had the game's first chance after two minutes.
The Brazilian confused the Arsenal defence with a late run while two other Hull players stood in offside positions but he scuffed his shot.
A chance opened up for Nathan Doyle moments later but the right-back shot straight at Manuel Almunia from distance.
Arsenal's first opportunity came from a free-kick and Robin van Persie almost got lucky as his firm effort was deflected narrowly wide by Michael Turner.
The visitors were almost caught after Geovanni sparked a counter-attack but Cousin's cross was blocked and his follow-up shot went well wide.
Geovanni also curled in a dangerous-looking free-kick from out wide but Almunia safely gathered and another set-piece moments later was shot into the wall.
Boaz Myhill produced a brilliant double save to deny Arsenal the lead after 28 minutes following the award of a dubious free-kick for a foul on Emmanuel Eboue.
The goalkeeper just did enough to tip Van Persie's fierce shot onto the bar and then recovered to block from Johan Djourou as the defender pounced on the rebound.
Yet Hull could not hold out much longer and fell behind as Adebayor headed home a Van Persie corner at the far post a minute later.
Van Persie muscled into the area early in the second half but was penalised for a foul on Sam Ricketts.
Adebayor then beat Turner to create space for a shot but Myhill punched clear.
Hull made their first change after 53 minutes when the ineffective Halmosi was replaced by new striker Manucho and the formation switched from 4-5-1 to 4-4-2.
Manucho's first taste of the action left him with a facial wound after clashing heads with Djourou contesting a bouncing ball in the area. Hull appealed for a penalty but referee Alan Wiley was uninterested.
Hull snatched an equaliser when Cousin headed firmly past Almunia after Bernard Mendy's cross took a slight deflection off Gael Clichy.
Mendy caused more problems moments later and won a free-kick on the right but Arsenal escaped further damage.
Clichy was then booked for a foul on Mendy as the Hull winger, clearly inspired by his role in the goal, continued to cause havoc on the right.
Hull had the bit between their teeth and enjoyed a good spell but Arsenal still threatened in possession and Abou Diaby fired a good chance wide.
Myhill then saved again after Bendtner, introduced in the 68th minute, worked his way into the box and fired across goal.
Hull were exposed again after 81 minutes as Van Persie's pass found Nasri in space and the Frenchman shot left-footed across Myhill to restore Arsenal's lead.
The Gunners then ended the game five minutes from time as Bendtner played a one-two with an apparently offside Van Persie and finished clinically.
Arsenal almost added a flattering fourth when Bendtner struck the post late on.