Arjen Robben scored a stunning late winner as Chelsea kept up the pressure on Manchester United with a 3-2 win over Wigan. The Blues looked on course for an easy victory as they cruised into a two-goal lead by the half-hour mark with goals from stand-in captain Frank Lampard and Salomon Kalou.
But Wigan produced a storming comeback, with £5.5million club record signing Emile Heskey scoring twice, only for Robben to strike in the third minute of injury time with a superb individual goal.
It was again the perfect riposte from Chelsea after United had won 3-0 at Aston Villa earlier in the day, ensuring the lead for Sir Alex Ferguson's side at the top of the Premiership remains at two points.
The result, though, should never have been cast into so much doubt as Chelsea tore apart the Latics defence in the early stages.
As early as the seventh minute, skipper Arjan de Zeeuw and fellow centre-back Emmerson Boyce were like statues when Ashley Cole delivered a raking ball into Kalou in the seventh minute.
Perhaps not appreciating his situation, the 21-year-old striker attempted a first-time flick with the outside of his right foot, only for Chris Kirkland to make a smart save low to his left.
The pace of Robben was proving particularly dangerous, and it was the Dutchman who afforded Kalou a second opportunity five minutes later.
Robben latched on to Didier Drogba's looping ball out wide to the left and delivered a low first-time delivery into the area for young Ivorian Kalou.
Striking the shot with the inside of his left foot, Kirkland was again smartly down to deny Kalou, with fortune on his side as the ball trickled off his body, striking the post before pouncing on the rebound.
At that stage, though, the writing was on the wall and inside 90 seconds the Blues opened the scoring, courtesy of a perfectly-weighted pass from Robben into Lampard.
Beating the offside trap, Lampard then stroked home his ninth goal of the season past the advancing Kirkland from six yards.
Wigan appeared to have no answer to Chelsea's pace and power, and although their second in the 30th minute arrived from a deadball situation, it was no more than they deserved.
Robben was again the supplier, this time with an outswinging corner for Kalou to drive home a bullet header from seven yards for his first Premiership goal since a £5million move from Feyenoord in the summer, and with the Wigan marking again slipshod.
But then Chelsea surprisingly took their foot off the gas, giving Wigan a platform on which to mount a comeback, taking advantage on the stroke of half-time.
Fitz Hall and Kevin Kilbane had already gone close before Heskey was brought down on the edge of the area by Khalid Boulahrouz, the centre back in for the injured John Terry.
Josip Skoko delivered an incisive free-kick to the far post where Heskey towered above his markers to nod home his fourth goal of the season from close range, ending a 405-minute goal drought for the Latics on home soil.
It was the perfect tonic for the Latics, although their resurgence was almost halted in its tracks in the first minute of the second half.
Taking a Drogba pass in his stride just outside the area, Lampard then left two Wigan defenders on the seat of their shorts with a neat shimmy, only to drag his shot wide after advancing into the area.
That was not the cue, though, for Chelsea to dominate as they did in the first period as Wigan had rediscovered their self belief.
Roared on by a 22,000 crowd - their second biggest attendance of the season thanks to £15 ticket prices - Wigan began to push back their more illustrious opponents.
They were certainly unfortunate not to win a penalty shout in the 69th minute when Drogba handballed inside the area with Mike Dean failing to spot the incident.
If that went against Wigan, they certainly had luck on their side in the 78th minute when an offside Heskey netted the equaliser.
Substitute David Cotterill whipped in a cross to Skoko at the far post where the Australian fired in a shot that was tapped home by Heskey, but with no flag from the linesman.
Just when it appeared as if Wigan would end a run of three straight home defeats, Robben went on a charge, finishing with a 20-yard rocket beyond Kirkland.
