Frank Lampard scored the all-important equalizer from the penalty spot after a dubious penalty decision.
Chelsea came from one-nil down to defeat English Premier League leaders Manchester United 2-1 at Stamford Bridge, lifting themselves to fourth place in the table.
The defending champions were 15 points behind United before the match and Blues boss Carlo Ancelotti had admitted earlier that a top four finish this season would be a "realistic" target for the London side.
A confident United side took the lead after 29 minutes when Wayne Rooney's low shot from outside the area hit the bottom left corner.
Chelsea almost equalized 10 minutes later when Frank Lampard's free-kick slipped through the wall before being smashed out by goalkeeper Edwin Van der Sar. The Dutch veteran was quick enough to pounce on the rebound as Branislav Ivanovic attempted to bundle the loose ball over the line.
The game was more intense after the restart and Chelsea responded in the 54th minute when Brazilian defender David Luiz volleyed home Ivanovic's flick.
With 10 minutes remaining, Chelsea substitute Yuri Zhirkov was brought down by Chris Smalling in the box. Lampard scored from the penalty spot, securing a precious win for the hosts.
United suffered another blow in the stoppage time when Nemanja Vidic was sent off after receiving a second yellow card. He will now miss Manchester United's tricky trip to Anfield to play Liverpool on Sunday.
