Didier Drogba lobbed his second goal of the game in injury time as Chelsea captured a 2-1 victory over Hull on Saturday to give Carlo Ancelotti a winning start in the Premier League.
Having equalized Stephen Hunt's 28th-minute debut goal for Hull with a 37th-minute free kick, Drogba scored the winner just after the officials had signaled six minutes of injury time.
He swapped passes with Deco and took the ball wide on the left before lobbing it over goalkeeper Boaz Myhill from an acute angle. Although it looked like an attempted cross, the ball floated in to start the Chelsea fans' celebrations.
The winner stopped Hull from capturing a second draw in a row at Stamford Bridge.
The 0-0 draw that Hull achieved in February led to the departure of Luiz Felipe Scolari last season. When Hunt fired the Tigers ahead, the visiting fans taunted Ancelotti that he wouldn't last long either.
Hunt was left unmarked in the Chelsea area to fire the ball home after a shot from George Boateng had been deflected into his path by John Obi Mikel's block.
Signed from Reading on Thursday, Hunt was jeered by the Chelsea fans every time he touched the ball. It was his challenge on Petr Cech in October 2006 that sent the Chelsea goalkeeper to the hospital with a fractured skull, and is the reason he still wears a protective helmet.
Chelsea leveled when Seyi Olofinjana needlessly fouled Mikel 25 meters out and Drogba's expertly struck free kick dipped late and beat Myhill at his left hand post.
The Hull keeper was forced into saves from Michael Essien, Drogba and Jose Bosingwa, and Nicolas Anelka missed an easy close-range chance as Chelsea threatened to take command early in the second half with Ancelotti sending on Michael Ballack and Deco to reshape his midfield.
Chelsea couldn't find a way through, however, until Drogba came up with his stunning winner.