Cesc Fabregas grabbed an 88th-minute winner as Chelsea secured a 1-0 win at Queens Park Rangers to restore their seven-point lead in the Premier League title race.
QPR gave a good account of themselves and had looked like the better side for much of the game, although they struggled in the final third.
Just when it seemed like Chris Ramsey's side were going to earn a hard-fought point in their relegation battle, Fabregas rifled home in the closing minutes to snatch the win.
Here, Sports Mole analyses how the players fared at Loftus Road.
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QPR
Goal
Robert Green: Had very little to do thanks to the players in front of him, but contributed massively to the defeat with a botched kick-out shortly before Fabregas's winner. (4/10)
Defence
Mauricio Isla: Guilty of not being tight enough to Hazard in the build-up to the winning goal. Quiet overall, but he, along with Green, can feel particularly culpable for the defeat. (5/10)
Nedum Onuoha: Big reason as to why Chelsea toiled in the final third as the former Manchester City man gave another very good account of himself at centre-back. (6/10)
Steven Caulker: Excellent alongside Onuoha at the heart of QPR's defence and also looked a menace from set pieces, with Cahill managing one particularly crucial defensive header to prevent him from scoring. (6/10)
Clint Hill: The 36-year-old rolled back the years with a brilliant left-back performance and can feel particularly unlucky at being on the losing side this afternoon. (7/10)
Midfield
Matt Phillips: Far and away the hosts' best attacking player on the day, Phillips produced the best service as well as having their best chance. (7/10)
Sandro: Excellent performance in defensive midfield to make Hazard look like a mere spectactor for much of the game. Fine afternoon for the big Brazilian. (6/10)
Karl Henry: Recalled to the starting lineup at the expense of Kranjcar, Henry vindicated Ramsey's decision to play him with an uncompromising performance in midfield. (6/10)
Joey Barton: Really busy shift from Barton, who started on the wing and prevented Ivanovic from venturing forward too often, before moving into centre-midfield when Sandro went off. (6/10)
Attack
Charlie Austin: Had one or two half-chances, but overall he was shackled well by Cahill and Terry throughout the 90 minutes. (5/10)
Bobby Zamora: Powerful and industrious shift from the big striker but just lacked that bit of quality to really threaten Chelsea this afternoon. Linked up well with Austin at times. (5/10)
Substitutes
Niko Kranjcar: Came on for Sandro as QPR went for the win but the Croat had very little impact in his 10-minute cameo. (5/10)
Junior Hoilett: Anonymous cameo after replacing Zamora. (4/10)
CHELSEA
Goal
Thibaut Courtois: The busier of both goalkeepers, Courtois pulled off one or two very decent saves to keep out Austin and Phillips in either half. (6/10)
Defence
Branislav Ivanovic: Could not venture forward as often as he would have liked by virtue of Barton's effective wing-back role. By the same token, had very little to do defensively. (5/10)
John Terry: Had to contend with a torrent of abuse from the QPR fans throughout but rose above it for another assured defensive performance despite a couple of hairy moments. (6/10)
Gary Cahill: Got Terry out of jail on one or two occasions, and produced one particularly crucial defensive header to keep out Caulker in the first half. (7/10)
Cesar Azpilicueta: Struggled to deal with Matt Phillips occasionally, with the Rangers winger swinging in a few brilliant crosses. (5/10)
Midfield
Nemanja Matic: Gradually grew into the game after an uncertain start in which he made a host of botched passes. (5/10)
Cesc Fabregas: Looked like a superhero by virtue of the fact he was wearing a nose-guard, and ended up coming to Chelsea's rescue. Quiet overall, but the goal is all that matters. (7/10)
Ramires: Subbed 10 minutes after the break for Oscar following a remarkably quiet afternoon for the Brazilian. Not his best outing. (4/10)
Attack
Willian: Offered little to nothing in the final third, but still managed to have an impact defensively before he was replaced by the more attack-minded Cuadrado. (5/10)
Eden Hazard: Perked up a little when Oscar came on, but overall he was far and away from the standard we've come to expect from the Belgian schemer. However, he did bag a crucial assist. (6/10)
Didier Drogba: Found himself isolated as Chelsea's focal point for large spells, with Hazard and Fabregas doing little by way of service. (5/10)
Substitutes
Oscar: Decent cameo from the Brazilian, who moved centrally to allow Hazard take up his usual place on the left and it ultimately proved decisive. (6/10)
Juan Cuadrado: No impact whatsoever during his brief 10-minute spell on the field. (4/10)
Shane Callaghan
