While the English football world was willing Chelsea to slip up this afternoon away to Hull City, the Londoners showed they had the courage, character and ability to bounce back from throwing away a two-goal lead score the decisive third to secure all three points and maintain their six-point lead over Manchester City and still have a game in hand over their North-East title rivals.
Chelsea took the lead after just one minute 20 seconds and with the first attack of the game.
A calm build up between four Chelsea players saw Eden Hazard collect the ball from Diego Costa. He raced to the edge of the Hull penalty area before unleashing an unstoppable low, left-footer past Allan McGregor.
Chelsea almost succumbed to a sucker punch counter-attack three minutes later when Abel Hernandez beat the offside trap. He too raced into the area but Thibaut Courtois produced a magnificent save to thwart the striker and spare Chelsea's blushes.
But on nine minutes the Blues went two up. Cesc Fabregas played a simple ball into the path of Costa. The Brazil-born Spain striker took a couple of touches on the left of the penalty area before curling a sensational right-footer around McGregor and into the back of the net.
Dame N'Doye forced Courtois into a near post save on 13 minutes.
Then Hull got themselves back into the game when Ahmed Elmohamady tucked home neatly on 26 minutes from a Andy Robertson left wing cross. Then, incredibly, 60 seconds later Courtois lost control of a simple ball allowing Hernandez to slot home into the empty net.
Neither manager made a change at half-time, but the Blues started off impressively aggressive. Fabregas almost scored three minutes in, but his low shot inched wide of McGregor's right post. This was quickly followed by a Costa header, deflected for a corner.
Jose Mourinho brought on Oscar for Ramires on 60 minutes to beef up the attacking options.
Instead it was Hull who looked the most dangerous and Courtois brought off three excellent saves in a row to keep the Blues in the game.
Costa's game ended with 15 minutes on the clock, Mourinho replacing him with Loic Remy.
A huge sigh of relief from the travelling Chelsea fans turned into into cheers as Remy's first touch of note was to slide in a toe-poke that somehow squirrelled under McGregor's body and crept over the line to put the visitors back into lead on 77 minutes.
Mourinho then brought on defensive-minded Kurt Zouma for Willian to try and see out the final 10 minutes.
That was a classic Mourinho tactic, that worked a treat. Chelsea won't want too many close shaves like this, but in Remy that have a striker who can come off the bench and make a difference. That alone is priceless.
Teams, Hull, McGregor, Bruce, Meyler, Hernandez, Livermore, McShane, Dawson, Ramirez, Robertson, Elmohamady, N'Doye
Subs, Harper, Rosenior, Davies, Brady, Sagbo, Aluko, Quinn
Chelsea, Courtois, Ivanovic, Luis, Fabregas, Ramires, Hazard, Costa, Matic, Willian, Cahill, Terry
Cech, Zouma, Oscar, Remy, Cuadrado, Azpilicueta, Loftus-Cheek
Referee Michael Oliver