Chelsea were humbled by a rampant Arsenal who smashed five goals past the home side with striker Robin van Persie in sensational form, netting a hat-trick.
Chelsea, who scored three goals have only themselves to blame for letting the lead slip twice.
Two one down at half time, the visitors put on an inspired second half performance which left the Blues shell shocked.
Fernando Torres missed a sitter after just two minutes when Ashley Cole broke free on the left and sent a low left-footer from just inside the Arsenal penalty area.
The Spain forward however failed with his first-time shot to get the ball on target, sending it instead wide of Wojciech Szczesny.
Seconds later and Daniel Sturridge headed into the visitors area, but his cross to Torres was intercepted by Szczesny.
Arsenal, happy to play on the counter-attack, had the easiest of chances to score on 11 minutes, when after Theo Walcott skinned Cole on the right, he sent in the perfect cross for Gervinho, but the striker, like Torres before him, shot wide of goal.
Two minutes later and Walcott sent in a great ball but Robin Van Persie volleyed wide.
Chelsea broke the deadlock on 14 minutes when John Terry sent an immaculate cross field pass to Juan Mata on the right.
Themidfielder arrowed in a fine left-footed cross which was met by the gleeful head of Lampard who got between the Arsenal centre-backs and clipped the ball past Szczesny.
It was Chelsea' s 6000th league goal. Sturridge had a brilliant chance to double the score on 28 minutes,when, following a top-class through ball by Lampard, fluffed his big chance by screwing it wide across goal from eight yards out.
Nine minutes before half-time Arsenal hit the leveller and it was a well worked goal.
Mikel lost possession 10 yards outside the Chelsea penalty area. Excellent interchange play between Arteta, Aaron Ramsey saw Gervinho receive the ball inside the area.
He squared the ball to Van Persie, who tucked the ball home past Cech. The Blues thought they had restored the lead a minute later but Sturridge was adjudged to have been offside from four yards out as he slid home the ball from a Ramires cross.
But they inched back into the lead with seconds of the half remaining, when underfire John Terry slotted home a right footer from close range from a Lampard corner.
Van Persie had the first effort of the second half forcing Cech into a smart stop. Ramsey saw his shot inch over the Chelsea woodwork as the visitors tried to get an early foothold into the half.
And they were rewarded after just three minutes when the Blues were opened up with Andre Santos drilling home a fine left foot from just outside the Chelsea area and under Cech's body for the equaliser.
Szczesny was lucky to escape with just a yellow card on 50 minutes when he cut down Cole just outside his box for a free kick.
Arsenal then took a dramatic lead on 56 minutes when Walcott, from the right, sliced through the Chelsea rearguard and, despite a slip, got up and continued into the area, and arrowed a decisive right foot blaster past Cech.
Cole attempted an audacious long-range effort two minutes later but the ball sailed over Szczesny's crossbar.
The first change came from the home side when Florent Malouda replaced Sturridge on 62 minutes.
That move failed to bring about the equaliser so Blues boss Andre Villas-Boas brought on Lukaku on 72 minutes for midfielder Ramires.
Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger replaced Djourou for Jenkinson at the same time as Chelsea made sub number three, Mikel off for Meireles on 76 minutes.
The replacements continued on 76 minutes when Rosicky replaced Walcott. The see-saw nature of the game continued when the Blues produced a moment of pure magic with 10 minutes to go.
Lukaku appeared to block Santos on the left, allowing Mata to pick the ball up, 20 yards out on the right and unleash a monster of a left footer which arrowed into the far corner of Szczesny's goal.
But disaster struck for the home with five minutes to go. A poor Malouda backpass on the halfway line to Terry saw the England captain slip, allowing Van Persie to race through, round Cech and slide the ball into an empty net to give the visitors a 3-4 lead.
With Chelsea pushing for an equaliser, they came unstuck deep into added time. And it was a fantastic quick counter-attack which saw Van Persie blast home past Cech from just outside the penalty area for his hat trick and Arsenal's fifth.