The Italian struck a wonder goal just after the break and slammed home a late winner as the Hammers edged a gripping London derby, sending their west London rivals to a first defeat this season.

Roeder's men had fallen behind to Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink's first of the season, but hit back through Jermain Defoe and Di Canio's super strike and looked well set for a much-needed three points.

But sub Gianfranco Zola looked to have burst the Hammers bubble again when he curled home a trademark free-kick, only for the talismanic skipper to silence the snipers with an 83rd-minute winner.

He has been criticised for clashing with Roeder in a wretched start to the season and remonstrated with visiting fans at the final whistle, but few can question his commitment - and on this display at least, his undying quality.

Both goals will place huge question marks against the positioning of the usually impeccable Carlo Cudicini, but few making the trip back to East London will care where the keeper was when West Ham finally broke their duck.

And they did it the hard way as ever. Former Chelsea man Scott Minto gifted his old pals the perfect start as he dragged Robert Huth at a free-kick and on the lineman's insistence, Hasselbaink was handed the chance to break his own sorry streak.

He blasted the penalty past David James with the confidence of a man among the goals and would have been just that had his flashing volley not flown inches past the post.

The goal was the second blow to Hammers hopes - or so it seemed. They had already lost Freddie Kanoute with a thigh injury following Huth's clumsy lunge but in his place came the pace and purpose of Defoe. And with that came a goal.

Chelsea dozed at a Di Canio corner, Cudicini did well to block Steve Lomas' snap-shot but before the defence even knew the ball was loose, England starlet Defoe stuck out a leg, stabbed in and another rotten personal run was over - it was his first of the season.

Boudewijn Zenden and Eidur Gudjohnsen then peppered James from long range as West Ham wobbled briefly, but just when they needed it the most, their captain stepped up to show the way - in some style.

The Chelsea corporate brigade were barely back in their boxes as the Italian maverick picked up a throw on the West Ham right. One flick over his own shoulder took him infield and away from his man, another set the ball up perfectly and the third sent a dipping volley screaming between Cudicini and his near post.

Hasselbaink then headed against an upright and for a while it seemed the Hammers' luck would finally hold. But Zola joined their irrepressible Italian showcase by stepping off the bench to curl home a delightful free-kick from 25 yards, for his sixth of a sublime season to date.

Few neutrals would have complained had the two goals ended a tit-for-tat game all square, but London derbies are not for those without allegiance and a winner duly arrived as Chelsea's defence undid their earlier work.