Eden Hazard scored twice as Chelsea battled to a 3-3 draw with Roma to stay top of Champions League Group C.
Chelsea had surrendered a two-goal lead to trail 3-2 with 20 minutes remaining after former Manchester City striker Edin Dzeko's quick-fire double.
But Hazard headed in to prevent Antonio Conte's side slipping to a third straight loss for the first time under the Italian's stewardship.
Hazard's first goal of the season followed David Luiz's opener but Aleksandar Kolarov halved the deficit before Dzeko's delightful volley and free header within seven second-half minutes.
Chelsea were second best, but Hazard headed in Pedro's cross to give the Blues seven points ahead of the trip to the Eternal City on October 31.
The Blues are odds-on at 1/4 with Sky Bet to finish at the top of Group C. Roma can be backed at 4/1 to end up at the summit.
Chelsea are 9/1 for a surprise elimination in the group stage.
Post-match reaction
Eden Hazard admitted avoiding defeat was a priority for Chelsea.
Chelsea came into the match on the back of consecutive Premier League defeats to Manchester City and Crystal Palace, and were facing a third straight loss after the Italians rallied from 2-0 down to lead 3-2 with 20 minutes to go.
But Hazard headed in a late equaliser to secure a draw which keeps Chelsea top of Group C ahead of their trip to Rome at the end of the month.
"We talked about this," Hazard said of the preceding defeats, "but we gave everything at the end of the game and we scored one (to equalise) and maybe we should score another one to win the game.
"But one point is enough today after two defeats, it's not easy to bounce back against a great team but we did."
Chelsea manager Antonio Conte said his side had "suffered" and put it down to the enforced change in formation due to injury problems in midfield.
"I think we suffered with possession, it wasn't easy in the first half despite (the fact) we scored two goals," he said. "The change of the system, it wasn't good but when you are in a difficult situation you have to change sometimes, to improvise.
"I think in the second half we changed, we came back to 3-4-2-1 and the situation changed."
Luiz, employed in midfield in the absence of N'Golo Kante, was replaced early in the second half.
"(He has) a little problem in his calf," Conte said. "In this moment, I can't risk my players, because we are playing always the same players so it's very difficult now to risk someone and to lose him for many times."
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