Dutch substitute Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink celebrated his 32nd birthday by scoring a late hat-trick to give Chelsea a sensational 5-2 comeback win over relegation battlers Wolverhampton Wanderers.
Hours after the club were hit by fresh speculation of Claudio Ranieri being replaced by England coach Sven-Goran Eriksson next season, Chelsea were heading for a shock 2-1 defeat until Frank Lampard fired an equaliser and Hasselbaink came on to score three times in the last 15 minutes.
Victory kept Chelsea's title hopes alive by moving the second-placed team on to 67 points, six behind league leaders Arsenal, who face champions Manchester United, third on 61 points, at Highbury tomorrow.
Birmingham City edged Leeds United closer to relegation by trouncing them 4-1, Aston Villa earned a 2-1 win over Charlton Athletic, direct rivals for European football next season, and Southampton edged Tottenham Hotspur 1-0.