Shaun Maloney scored twice for Villa, before Andrei Shevchenko replied with another brace.

Alex restored Chelsea's lead, but Martin Laursen equalized, before Michael Ballack seemed to have grabbed a late winner for the Blues, only to be denied by an injury time penalty from Gareth Barry.

Chelsea have 38 points in third place, while Villa remained eighth with 29.

Chelsea's first-choice goalkeeper Petr Cech was a major doubt for the game, but manager Avram Grant decided to risk the Czech guardian.

Villa, who handed Chelsea their first defeat this season back in September, took a shocking 14th minute lead with a close range finish from Maloney.

The home side's crisis mounted when skipper Frank Lampard was taken off injured in the 25th minute, making way to Ballack, who made his first appearance this term.

Grant's decision to play Cech though proved costly though, after the Chelsea keeper committed an absolute gaffe to let in Maloney's second of the game one minute from half-time.

The pacey Scottish winger burst his way into the Chelsea box before striking a 20-meter shot, which should have been a routine save for Cech in another day, but the ball was too hot to handle for the giant keeper.

First-half Turning Point

However, the game took a dramatic switch one minute later, when the clear-on-goal Ballack was fouled by Zat Knight inside the area.

Shevchenko converted home as Knight was sent off.

Four minutes after the break, the Ukrainian ace hit his second of the game with a tremendous effort from range.

In the 66th minute, Alex exchanged a fine one-two move with Sheva, before the Brazilian smashed home like a deadly striker for Chelsea's third.

Villa got their equalizer six minutes later when Laursen volleyed in Ashley Young's inviting cross, after which Ricardo Carvalho received his marching orders.

Three minutes from time, Ballack fired home a trade-mark free kick, and Chelsea thought the three points were secured.