This season's English Premier League is as unpredictable as they come.
In another result that will have raised a few eyebrows, Chelsea were outfoxed, outfought and outscored by Newcastle, who picked up a vital 2-0 victory at St. James' Park.
Yoann Gouffran opened the scoring for the Magpies, who were rewarded splendidly for a great second half performance, with Loic Remy sealing all three points late on, as Alan Pardew's men went up to ninth with 14 points.
Chelsea, who had the chance to go top of the Premier League, at least for a few hours, with a win, stay third on 20 points, two behind leaders Arsenal, who host Liverpool in the late game on Saturday.
The first half saw Chelsea, who expectedly brought all the big guns back after they were rested in the Capital One Cup win over Arsenal, enjoy plenty of possession, but without any real penetration.
Newcastle were far from their best as well, with route one (read long ball) to Shola Ameobi very much the norm as the home side struggled to hand onto the ball with any real effect.
Chelsea's best chance in the first half came through their skipper John Terry, whose header, off a corner from Juan Mata, thundered onto the crossbar.
Newcastle were still not able to get their attacking quality going, with the likes of Loic Remy and Yoann Gouffran cutting frustrated figures, while Ameobi was also a little starved for service - if you do not count the barrage of long balls towards him time and again that is.
As the game petered to a goalless draw in the first half, something needed to give in the second 45, and it was the home side that showed the much better intent.
Newcastle just seemed come to life out of nowhere just before the hour mark, with Moussa Sissoko first forcing a great save off Petr Cech - the Chelsea goalkeeper just diverting the ball for a corner off a strike from the Newcastle midfielder from a tight angle.
Off the ensuing corner, Remy found space, but his swivel and shot was again saved by Cech as the Toon Army roared on their side, sensing a big win.
Yoann Gouffran kept Cech interested with a long-ranger before the Newcastle man struck the body blow. Off a freekick from Yohan Cabaye, Gouffran snuck up on the far post beyond Terry to fire home a stooping header past a despairing Cech in the 68th minute.
Newcastle now with their tails well up, looked to find the put-to-bed goal, with Remy combining well with substitute Papiss Cisse, before firing low at Cech.
Jose Mourinho had brought on Samuel Eto'o and Willian in search of the opening goal, with Fernando Torres, a shadow of the terror that he was against Manchester City, and Mata coming off, and the two substitutes combined to nearly equalise.
Willian forced a wonderful instinctive save from Tim Krul, off an Oscar corner, before Eto'o's follow up was well blocked by Mathieu Debuchy.
As the Blues kept pouring forward in search of the equaliser, Newcastle were always going to be up to hit them on the counter, and strike the killer blow they did, through their best player this season.
Vurnon Anita played a perfect ball into the box for Remy to sweep home from 12 yards and clinch an impressive victory.
