Branislav Ivanovic scored the winner in a drama-filled match that blasted Chelsea to the top of the Premier League as Chelsea beat Aston Villa 2-1 at Stamford Bridge tonight.
The Blues took a five-minute lead through a fortunate own goal from Antonio Luna and were their own worst enemy, when they switched off and conceded a goal through Christian Benteke on the stroke of half-time.
The visitors conceded eight the last time they visited Stamford Bridge, back in December but they were a much fitter and disciplined outfit this time and that scoreline was never an option.
Chelsea will also admit they had a stroke of luck deep into added time at the end of the game when John Terry clearly handled the ball after Fabian Delph's cross was headed on by Benteke. Terry's hand emerged from the clash on the edge of the penalty area and directed then ball away from danger.
Quite how referee Kevin Friend missed it is a mystery but Mourinho won't be complaining.
Chelsea took just five minutes to open the scoring with their first worthwhile attack.
While they dominated the early play in terms of possession, they failed to open up the Villa rearguard.
However it was left to the mercurially-talented Belgium Eden Hazard, wide on the left who did the damage. He cut in to latch onto. Demba Ba pass and shot on target.
Unfortunately for the visitors, goalkeeper Brad Guzan could only parry the effort back out and it struck the hapless Spanish defender Antonio Luna and deflected back into the empty net.
Perhaps predictably, the pace of the home side's game was nowhere close to the high level of opening 45 minutes of Sunday's encounter against Hull City.
This allowed more measured creative play while accepting that Villa would be a greater threat on the counter-attack.
Villa finally threatened Petr Cech, on 23 minutes through Karinm El Ahmadi's 25 yard right-footer. While having the necessary power, it lacked the accuracy and it flew high and wide of the Chelsea stopper's crossbar.
Frank Lampard, fresh from his thumping 30-yard free kick on Sunday, tried a repeat on 25 minutes. But this time, like El Ahmadi, it failed to trouble Guzman, although occupants in row Z of the Shed might have felt the full force of the shot.
Brazil midfielder Oscar, playing a fluid roving midfield role, popped up of the right, on 32 minutes and arrowed towards goal, finally letting fly with a daisy-cutting left-footer, but the ball inched wide of Guzman's left upright.
Villa were forced to make a substitution with four minutes of the half to go, Ciaran Clark, with a head injury came off for Jores Okore.
Andreas Weimann felt he should have a penalty two minutes later when he felt his shirt was pulled by Ramires in the Chelsea area, but after consulting referee Kevin Friend, went away unhappy.
But with seconds of the three minutes overtime remaining Villa struck when a quick breakaway saw Gabriel Agbonlahor cut the ball back from the byline on the left. It fell to
Christian Benteke who blasted home a low left-footer from an acute angle that squeezed past Cech and his right post.
Jose Mourihno kept his charges in the changing room until the very last second, as Villa were all set to kick-off the second half without them.
However, the restart saw no changes in personnel from either side.
Ba, who for the previous 47 minutes had conspired to get offside on numerous occasions, got a break. Latching onto a long ball by Ramires, the Senegal striker could not escape the attentions of Luna, and when he reached the Villa penalty area promptly fell over. He tried to claim a penalty to cover his lack of balance but it fell on deaf ear from Friend.
A snatched shot by Hazard on 60 minutes signalled a degree of frustration with in the Chelsea ranks. Villa seemed unperturbed by the home side's tendency to move the ball square across the pitch, keeping possession, but making little headway today's their opponents' goal.
This left Villa with the opportunity to counter quickly when they had the ball and Agbonlahor almost took full advantage on 62 minutes, but his curling right-foot just snaked over Cech's crossbar.
Weimann forced a fine save by Cech at his near post as Villa sought to take advantage of Chelsea's indecision.
Jose Mourhino, sensing that the game could turn against him, made a double substitution on 65 minutes, replacing ineffectual Ba with Romelu Lukaku and Andre Schurrle with equally ineffectual Juan Mata.
Schurrle tried his arm from the edge of the Villa penalty area on 70 minutes, but much like Chelsea's play it was over elaborate and came to nothing.
Branislav Ivanovic entered Friends's book with for an arm across Benteke and Ashley Westwood for a foul a minute later on 72 minutes from which Chelsea retook the lead.
Lampard, on the right, arrowed the perfect arching right-footer which Ivanovic met with a powerful downward header which blasted past Guzman.
Should Ivanovic still being on the pitch is a debatable question but Chelsea deserved a slice of luck.
Benteke then got a yellow card for feigning injury as the game became tetchy on the pitch a feisty in the dugout as both sets of management responded equally with anger as decisions went against them.
Lukaku's first effort on goal saw a right-footer smash into the side netting with 13 minutes remaining.
Villa boss Paul Lambert introduced Bulgarian midfielder Aleksandar Tonev for the final eight minutes, while Mourinho responded in kind with Marco Van Ginkel for Oscar on 84 minutes.
Cech made a great save with three minutes to go denying Weimann from close range as Villa sought a second equaliser.
Then came Terry's hand ball in the Chelsea area.
Villa's bench went apoplectic, Mourinho was sheepish in response but three points were secured and the Blues now travel to Old Trafford on Monday to face Manchester United as league leaders.
Teams
Chelsea : Cech, Ivanovic, Cole, Ramires, Lampard, Mata, Oscar, Hazard, Ba, Cahill, Terry,
Subs: Schwarzer, Mikel, Schurrle, De Bruyne, Van Ginkel, Lukaku, Azpilicueta
Aston Villa: Guzan, Vlaar, Clark, El Ahmadi, Weimann, Agbonlahor, Luna, Westwood, Delph, Benteke, Lowton
Subs: Steer, Bennett, Okore, Bacuna, Helenius, Sylla, Tonev
Referee: Kevin Friend