There were big cheers from the travelling away fans at full time, as Aston Villa came from behind to defeat Chelsea 2-1 at home.
Chelsea looked unstoppable in the first half, restricting their opponents to zero shots on target, isolating their frontline, and keeping possession in the middle of the pitch. Joao Pedro scored the only goal of the half via a Reece James corner.
The second half performance did not match the first, as they lacked options to kill off the game, and made some questionable substitutions which included bringing off Cole Palmer - who looked livid at the decision.
Ollie Watkins was the star of the show for Villa, as he bagged a brace off the bench and encouraged his teammates to be more aggressive, brave and determined.
It extends the club's winstreak to an impressive eleven games, and they face a real test in their last game of 2025 against Mikel Arteta's Arsenal. As for Chelsea, Maresca will return to the touchline as they welcome AFC Bournemouth to the Bridge - who are winless in their last nine.
Story of the Match
Unai Emery's side extended their unbeaten streak to ten matches last week, after fighting back from a goal down against Manchester United. Chelsea were the latest challenge standing in their way as they looked to keep up their top form.
The Blues have struggled for consistency as of late, and had to overcome a poor first half performance against Newcastle to salvage a point at St James' Park.
Both teams opted for two changes - Enzo Maresca shifted Reece James back into defence, with Benoit Badiashile replacing his compatriot Wesley Fofana.
Maresca would watch this outing from the stands at Stamford Bridge - after he picked up a second touchline ban of the season.
For the visitors, it was a switch-up in attack, with Emi Buendia and Donyell Malen leading the line, ahead of the in-form Morgan Rogers.
Chelsea dominated possession in the opening moments - keeping the ball in Villa's half and looking to penetrate down the wings. Cole Palmer was picking up some vital touches and had the first half chance of the match, controlling a deep pass and shooting just wide of the far post.
Enzo Fernandez then should have put the hosts in front after being given space and time to shoot on the edge of the box - but his curled effort ended up well wide of the mark. Palmer had done very well to drive through the opposition block to set up the chance.
Villa's front two of Rogers and Malen found themselves somewhat isolated at the other end, largely thanks to Chelsea's dominance in midfield. Malen had just one touch in the opening twenty minutes - in his own penalty box.
Chelsea needed to take advantage of their dominance - which had lasted nearly the entire length of the first half. Their opponents were at risk of ending the half without a single shot, and they had very rarely ventured into the Blues' half of the pitch.
Notably, the Chelsea defence had been physical when needed; this was something they lacked in the first half against Newcastle. The likes of Moises Caicedo, Reece James and Marc Cucurella were putting in firm but fair challenges in order to keep the ball.
With ten minutes left in the half, they found their opener via a set piece - a looping corner kick was not dealt with by goalkeeper Emi Martinez and was glanced off the foot of Joao Pedro into the back of the net.
The messiness of the finish did not necessarily represent the cleanliness of the Blues' performance, but it was a well deserved lead nonetheless - and Villa now needed fresh ideas if they hoped to maintain their unbeaten run.
They continued to defend passively, allowing Chelsea to win the ball back in their half of the pitch and pass it around freely without too much risk - but looked compact and organised in their box, doing well to cut out crosses.
A cross by Reece James nearly snuck into the net, but Martinez was alert to backtrack and dig the effort out. Moments later, a misplaced pass gave Villa a rare run on the Chelsea goal, but they were unable to find enough room to shoot.
Chelsea had begun the second half as they ended the first, but another goal was crucial in order to preserve the three points. Villa had picked up the most points from losing positions this season, and were capable of getting back into the game - just as they did against Manchester United.
Emery made a triple switch on the hour mark, with Ollie Watkins, Amadou Onana and former Blue Jadon Sancho brought into the game. It marked a more familiar setup for Villa, who sprung into life almost immediately after the changes.
A pair of positive attacking plays caught the Blues napping - first, Kamara's run and shot on goal was dealt with by Sanchez, before Ollie Watkins found the back of the net; his shot too powerful for the Chelsea keeper as it was deflected off his glove.
Suddenly, it was the Villans who dominated the ball and the attacking chances, and Chelsea were forced to defend their goal. Morgan Rogers played through an overlapping Ian Maatsen, and his chance was parried away by Sanchez.
The home side made a triple change of their own - Liam Delap, Jamie Gittens and Malo Gusto were all introduced as Chelsea looked to retake the lead.
Palmer also made way for Estevao - the midfielder looked incredibly frustrated at the decision and made his feelings known as he exited the field. Maresca had hinted at a full outing for Palmer before the game, but it seems that the player's fitness is still being monitored.
The changes were not as powerful as Chelsea will have hoped, as Villa continued to press and hold the more threatening opportunities.
Some poor defending from a corner completed the comeback for the away side, and gifted Ollie Watkins his brace, as he steered Youri Tielemans' cross into the back of the net. It was a tricky effort as the striker was moving backwards, but he got the needed power and placement required to catch Sanchez off guard.
From there, the Blues fell apart, and were running out of ideas in the final third. Not only that, but tempers were flaring, and several players were unable to control themselves. Sanchez was penalised for handling the ball outside of his area, and a resulting free-kick by substitute Lucas Digne nearly found its way in.
Villa kept their heads, and were ultimately able to hang on to their lead as the final whistle blew. It was not the result Enzo Maresca wanted, and there would need to be mass improvement to avoid slipping further from the summit.
As for Villa, it was another comeback victory, and another massive three points.
The catalyst of Villa's second half comeback, Ollie Watkins was a constant goal threat from the second he came off the bench.
The England striker has rarely been excluded from the starting lineup this season, but after a dismal first half showing which saw Donyell Malen completely isolated up front, a change was needed.
He tested Sanchez several times with his runs and shooting - and steered a difficult header on target via a corner to complete the comeback win.
Unai Emery has prioritised longevity and depth within his team - and with his eleventh win in a row in all competitions, the title question very much remains a realistic one.