Aston Villa's place in the potential Champions League was placed in jeopardy last night as an increasingly influential member, Chelsea, pinched a late, deserved victory over the Premiership leaders.
Although Tore Andre Flo's headed winner came in the fourth minute of injury time, it was a just reward for the greater attacking threat posed by Gianluca Vialli's side who now sit third in the table.
Villa provided stubborn and well-organised resistance in defence but struggled to disturb Ed De Goey's long-distance view of the game. It was so different two months ago.
Then John Gregory's rejuvenated team were six points clear at the top trying to shrug off the sceptics' warning that Villa would be found out when they met the top sides. So the fact that in the last four games they have lost at home to Liverpool, drawn at home to Manchester United and now lost to Chelsea - as well as drawing at lowly Nottingham Forest - would seem to support the sceptics' case.
Villa still lead the Premiership by one point but United now have a game in hand and following this, the first away defeat in the league during Gregory's 10-month reign, Villa face another huge test at home to Arsenal on Sunday.
Chelsea, meanwhile, are steadily increasing their claims to be taken seriously as title contenders. They are now only two points behind Villa, also with a game in hand, after a breathless run of 14 league games unbeaten since the opening day of the season.
Apart from their goal and an early effort from Julian Joachim which trickled just wide of an open net, Villa created little.
Chelsea went ahead on the half-hour when Roberto Di Matteo's sudden turn incited a foul by Gareth Southgate on the edge of the Villa area. From the free-kick Gianfranco Zola bent an exquisite shot over the wall and past the late dive of Michael Oakes.
It took 90 seconds for Villa to equalise. A well-worked four-man move ended with the ball at the feet of Lee Hendrie, and with a twist and turn the fledgling England international shook off his pursuers long enough to slide a crisp shot past De Goey.
But Chelsea always posed the bigger threat. In the 43rd minute Celestine Babayaro saw a goal-bound shot hit the diving body of Steve Watson, then a minute later Oakes tipped over a 25-yard shot from Albert Ferrer.
In the 58th minute the new captain Frank Leboeuf headed the ball against the underside of the bar, then Oakes again tipped over from Ferrer.
On came Flo and he soon went close. Oakes then saved again, this time from Di Matteo, and Graeme Le Saux hit the inside of the post. As the minutes ticked by, Chelsea frantically began to wonder if they were going to repeat their earlier victory over Villa in the League Cup.
But four minutes into injury time two substitutes came to Chelsea's rescue. First Gustavo Poyet's effort from an overhead kick was pushed behind by Oakes; then, from the corner, swung in by Di Matteo, Vialli flicked on the ball to Flo, who thudded it past Oakes.
Chelsea: De Goey, Petrescu, Babayaro (Poyet 79), Leboeuf, Desailly, Vialli, Duberry, Le Saux, Di Matteo, Ferrer, Zola (Flo 66). Subs Not Used: Wise, Hitchcock, Lambourde. Booked: Di Matteo, Vialli. Goals: Zola 30, Flo 90.
Aston Villa: Oakes, Wright, Southgate, Ehiogu, Watson, Taylor, Thompson, Joachim (Collymore 82), Dublin, Barry, Hendrie. Subs Not Used: Grayson, Charles, Lescott, Ghent. Booked: Thompson, Barry, Hendrie, Collymore, Dublin. Goal: Hendrie 32. Referee: A Wilkie (Chester-le-Street).
