In a stadium built by steel wealth, Chelsea have shown our own iron resolve to overcome another injury to a major player to take three points.
Petr Cech was forced out of the action in the second-half after failing to recover from a collision but by then, Joe Cole had superbly struck a first-half goal that was enough for an early Christmas present for all Chelsea fans - our sixth away league win.
It was never a smooth ride, both sides enjoying spells on top and both striking woodwork but we have made it five wins on our last six top flight visits to a ground that was once one of our least favourite.
It had all started so well on the injury front too at the start of four games in ten days, Avram Grant having received the good news that Shevchenko and Mikel had overcame problems to start in this game.
Kalou on his 50th appearance for Wright-Phillips, Essien for Makelele and Carvalho for Terry were the three changes from the team that started at Arsenal. Blackburn altered their shape from their last league game, McCarthy out to leave Santa Cruz the only striker in a 4-2-3-1 shape.
Three minutes gone and Chelsea experienced for the first time the threat from the in-form Paraguayan - his thunderous shot blocked by Carvalho's sharp reaction. Pedersen's corner that followed flashed across the face of goal just a couple of yards from the line but no-one applied a touch.
Blackburn won another corner within a minute and the home side's good start continued when Joe Cole was dispossessed in midfield and Bentley smashed the ball just a couple of feet above both Cech and the bar.
On 10 minutes, Alex was booked for chopping down Bentley on the left, the fouled player taking the kick and firing it once again towards the top of the Chelsea net, Cech pushing it away. Chelsea survived the scramble that followed.
Two minutes later, it was Bentley again causing problems, lofting over the Chelsea back-line. Santa Cruz raced away but shot across goal and just wide.
Avram Grant's men had a single Kalou counter-attack to show for their attacking endeavours in the first 15 minutes. They were committing too many fouls and failing to keep possession.
Around the 20 minute mark, Chelsea won our first two corners in quick succession. The second, taken by Lampard on his 350th Chelsea appearance, was initially cleared but the return fell Shevchenko's way, only for our number 7 to scoop over from close range.
Joe Cole made no such mistake just a minute later. Blackburn had tried to play the ball forward but with trademark anticipation, Carvalho won it back on halfway. Kalou played a superb pass through the defence and Cole smashed a difficult chance into the top right corner.
Cole almost repaid the complement to Kalou soon after, the Ivorian taking the pass and skipping past a challenge, finding Shevchenko but Friedel grabbed the low cross among a forest of legs.
Blackburn's beginning to the game had been everything that Mark Hughes would have wished for on the back of three straight defeats but the goal had blunted their attacking intentions considerably since.
But on 32 minutes, it took a piece of world class keeping by Cech to preserve the lead. The ball had fallen in the area to Santa Cruz who squared for Reid to catch his shot cleanly, Cech reacting in a fraction of a second to push the ball onto the bar.
Brad Friedel, so often a thorn in Chelsea's side, was not to be out done, touching Lampard's 25 yard drive onto the post just a minute later. Another fine piece of keeping that kept Frank waiting for that 100th goal.
Dunn became Blackburn's first booking for a late challenge on Ashley Cole and Bentley headed a free-kick onto the roof of the net as half-time drew near.
If the first-half had ended with Chelsea in good spirits despite an up-and-down first display - the second period began with a big concern. In the first minute Cech punched bravely away from Santa Cruz when the ball was played into the area but there were consequences.
As the game continued, our keeper began to feel the effects of the collision on his lower abdomen and when play stopped after several more minutes, he needed prolonged treatment before deciding to play on. Warming-up vigorously was Hilario, Cudicini having suffered a minor knock in training.
It took a last-ditch challenge from Nelsen to block Essien just as the midfielder was pulling the trigger six yards out after bursting into the box onto a loose ball.
On 63 minutes, Cech's spirited attempt to end the game came to an end. He had been clearly in pain when landing after jumping a couple of minutes before giving up and was helped in walking from the pitch by the Chelsea medical staff.
Hilario's first job was to deal with a corner. He punched straight down into the ground but Chelsea escaped.
Wright-Phillips was introduced instead of Shevchenko on 66 minutes with Kalou moving to the centre.
Santa Cruz headed wide when Hilario came for, but didn't make a 68th minute Blackburn corner. If the start had been nervous from the Portuguese keeper, the best of him was there for all to see three minutes later when a Dunn cross from the left clipped off the head of Alex and Hilario saved Santa Cruz's header low down by the post.
Jason Roberts was brought on for Tugay on 72 minutes as the home side went two up front in search of the equaliser.
Friedel was again equal to a Lampard shot on 76 minutes, tipping it wide for a corner from which Essien's header was stopped inadvertently on the line by Joe Cole. Friedel grabbed the loose ball, Carvalho challenged, an action that earned the defender a booking - the one blot on his exceptional display.
Kalou had a header saved on the line and Hilario pouched a Bentley ball in from the left before Chelsea was asked to survive six minutes of stoppage time. That we duly did for a crucial win on a weekend that had seen Arsenal and Man United both take maximum points.
