City had won 11 out of 11 at home in the league before Chelsea's visit and knew another one over Jose Mourinho's side would have seen them leapfrog Arsenal and return to the top of the table.
Instead, Mourinho and Chelsea produced a counter-attacking masterclass perfectly designed to take advantage of City's natural attacking instincts, and Branislav Ivanovic's first-half goal gave them a thoroughly deserved win.
It was the first time City had failed to score in a home league match since November 2010 as the Premier League's most potent attack, with 68 goals, was kept out by the best defence - the visitors have conceded just 20.
This was no smash-and-grab tactical raid by Mourinho either, as his side hit the woodwork three times through Samuel Eto'o, Nemanja Matic and Gary Cahill. They could, and should, have won by a greater margin.
Chelsea, with Eden Hazard magnificent, now stand just two points behind leaders Arsenal and only adrift of City on goal difference, giving the sort of performance that suggests Mourinho's softly-softly approach to their title ambitions may simply be another piece of psychology to relieve pressure on his side.
This was a win that carried the Mourinho trademark of meticulous planning and coaching brilliance that had Chelsea's supporters once again singing the name of "The Special One".
And it was a result that means another turn in the title race, which seemed in City's hands after a series of imperious victories that hadseen them compared with the world's finest teams.
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