Manchester City inflicted Chelsea's first home Premier League defeat this season in a game which began with Wayne Bridge refusing John Terry's handshake.
Frank Lampard's low strike put Chelsea ahead but Carlos Tevez equalised after a long ball was not dealt with, before Craig Bellamy shot beyond Hilario.
Tevez scored a penalty after Juliano Belletti saw red for a trip on Gareth Barry before a Bellamy tap-in.
Michael Ballack also saw red and Lampard scored a consolation penalty.
City had failed to score in their previous seven visits to Stamford Bridge, while Chelsea had only conceded eight at home in the Premier League all season.
But those statistics were rendered meaningless on an afternoon of triumph for City coach and former Inter Milan boss Roberto Mancini, who pitted his wits in the Premier League for the first time against ex-AC Milan manager Carlo Ancelotti.
City saw their hopes of silverware this season ended by their FA Cup defeat at Stoke in midweek but they boosted their prospects of a top-four finish by completing the double over Chelsea for the first time since 1957.
With Manchester United not in league action this weekend, victory would have taken Chelsea four points clear at the top of the Premier League.
But it was a disastrous afternoon for Ancelotti, whose side had only dropped points in one previous home game this season, a 3-3 draw with Everton.
What's more, his team lacked discipline after the break and were vulnerable in defence, with Hilario looking particularly suspect.
All eyes before kick-off were focused on Terry and Bridge, who came face-to-face for the first time since allegations about the former's relationship with the latter's ex-partner.
As it turned out, Bridge - who this week ruled out playing for England at the World Cup - shunned Terry's outstretched hand.
There was an anti-climatic feel to the start of the game, which was low on excitement but, on a heavy Stamford Bridge surface, high in mis-placed passes and stodgy midfield play.
Both sides set up with three across midfield operating behind three more attack-orientated players but Chelsea were the superior team and enjoyed the better of precious few early openings.
Florent Malouda drilled a thunderous long-range strike narrowly over the crossbar, Shay Given palmed clear from Joe Cole, Didier Drogba headed over and Vincent Kompany almost sliced an attempted clearance into his own net.
City seemed content to surrender territory and invite pressure - and Chelsea gradually forced some clear chances.
Drogba shot disappointingly over with a shot on the turn but Lampard made no mistake after running into space and collecting a precise pass from Cole before drilling the ball low across goal from 16 yards.
All City had mustered was a tame Adam Johnson free-kick but Tevez, on his return to the side after compassionate leave in Argentina, equalised with a smash and grab effort on the stroke of half-time that epitomised all the Argentine's tenacious qualities.
Chelsea were partial architects of their own downfall as Jon Obi Mikel headed a long Bridge clearance towards his own goal but Tevez then repeatedly managed to hold off both Terry and Ricardo Carvalho before shooting limply beyond the outstretched but ultimately futile dive of Hilario.
City might even have led at the break after a Bellamy free-kick deep in injury time was met by an unmarked Joleon Lescott but the defender headed wide.
Bellamy, anonymous in the opening half, stunned the home crowd with his goal minutes after the restart.
A Chelsea attack broke down and Mikel found himself isolated against Bellamy marauding down the left flank.
It was an unfair contest and Bellamy burst into the box before shooting into the bottom corner from a very tight angle for another goal that was, at least in part, goalkeeping error.
There was little sign of an equaliser for the home side and it took a last-gasp clearance from Branislav Ivanovic to prevent Bellamy extending City's lead.
Ancelotti's desperation was reflected in the fact that Drogba, Nicolas Anelka, Daniel Sturridge and Salomon Kalou were all on the field for the final 20 minutes.
But Tevez made it 3-1 for City with a powerful penalty into the corner after Barry had got the wrong side of Belletti, who tripped his opponent.
Ballack was dismissed after picking up a second yellow for a lunge on Tevez before Bellamy tapped home unmarked at the far post after 87 minutes following a low pass across goal from Shaun Wright-Phillips.
There was still more drama as Given saved from Anelka, who was later brought down in the box by Barry. That allowed Lampard to end the game with a consolation penalty.
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