There were 5 yellow cards and three sendings off as the Battle of the Bridge ended in an amazing 4-4 climax.
Greth Barry salvaged a point for the Villans after it seemed that Chelsea would claim an unfair victory.
The Claret and Blue almost went in two goals up at half time through two Shaun Maloney strikes. However, Referee Phil Dowd decided that Zat Knight's innocent challenge on Michael Ballack was worthy of a penalty for the hosts and a red card for Knight.
Martin O'Neill was left fuming as Knight merely seemed to ease Ballack out of the way and if Ricky Hatton went down like that in the ring, he would be laughed out of the arena.
But Dowd was quickly on the scene and pointed to the spot. Andrei Shevchenko duly obliged and it was 2-1 at the break.
The Claret and Blue corner will have been mopping the brow of the determined army of fighters that wore the colours and O'Neill could have asked for no more.
However, with just 10 men it was clearly going to be difficult when Villa emerged, and so it proved.
Chelsea quickly equalised through Ukrainian Shevchenko as he struck a hammer blow from outside the area. Villa looked down but not out and they continued to stay resilient. But, Shevchenko was having what many believe is his best ever game for Chelsea and he looked every inch a £30 million heavyweight.
The revival of the home side was complete on 66 when Alex slotted in after good work by.... you guessed it, Shevchenko. Many on-lookers would have thought that was the knockout blow. They were wrong.
Back came Villa as they won a freekick on the left. Ashley Young swung in a trademark delivery and the colossal figure of Martin Laursen was there to volley past the hapless Cech.
It was unbelievable as the 10 man visitors refused to be beaten but surely no-one could have predicted that there was yet more Villa courage to come.
There was a nasty incident on 80 minutes as Portugese defender Ricardo Carvalho two-footed Gabby Agbonlahor as the pacy striker looked to get through the defence. Carvalho dived in recklessly and the referee quickly dished out a red card.
The numbers and scores were level, but not for long, as with two minutes left Chelsea struck once more through the theatrical Ballack. He cracked in a low free-kick which Scott Carson looked baffled by even though it went in on his side. He quickly bemoaned the wall and that looked like the last of Villa.
But up-stepped the man of seemingly every hour, Gareth Barry, who cooly slotted home a vital equaliser for the Villans after Dowd awarded a penalty. Avram Grant, just like O'Neill in the first half, was not pleased with the decision which saw another red-card, this time for England man Ashley Cole. The left-back appeared to stop the ball on the line with his arm.
Barry didnt care and the calmest man at the Bridge claimed a deserved point.
The match may have been viewed as a confrontation between Barry and the man he replaced for England, Frank Lampard. but unfortunately that contest was ended when Lampard limped off early on.
It was the loyal Villa boy who had the last laugh once again and surely Capello can see Barry is the man for the job.
The rest of the men in Claret and Blue can be very pleased with what was a reslilient display and had some decisions not gone against O'Neill and his men, we may just have been talking about another Villa win over Chelsea. As it is, the away side claimed a valiant point and you can guarantee the two managers will not be sending any belated Christmas gifts to Mr Dowd. He is more likely to receive a Christmas punch.