LONDON (Reuters) - Chelsea kept alive their hopes of winning the Premier League title at the same time as severely denting Arsenal's when late goals from Didier Drogba gave them a 2-1 come-from-behind win at Stamford Bridge on Sunday.

Drogba scored with an unstoppable drive after 73 minutes and powerfully hooked home nine minutes later to give Chelsea victory after Bacary Sagna had put Arsenal ahead in the 59th minute with a near-post header from a Cesc Fabregas corner.

The London derby victory lifted Chelsea into second place above Arsenal on 68 points from 31 matches.

Arsenal, now without a win in five league games after four draws and this defeat -- only their second in the league all season -- slipped to third on 67 points.

After leading the table at the start of the month, their hopes of their first title since 2004 are fading fast with only seven matches to play.

Champions Manchester United maintained their lead at the top when they beat Liverpool 3-0 at Old Trafford earlier on Sunday to move to 73 points.

The loss left Liverpool on 59 points and out of contention.

The Chelsea fans, who last saw their team lose at home in the league 78 matches ago when Arsenal won at Stamford Bridge in February 2004, were fearing the worst as the match moved into its closing stages with Arsenal leading by Sagna's first goal for the club.

HLEB OUTSTANDING

Both teams had played some superb football throughout the game, but Arsenal had just shaded the midfield with Alexandr Hleb having an outstanding game and Robin van Persie a continual threat in only his second start after a long injury lay-off.

And with almost an hour played, Arsenal took the lead they just about deserved. Sagna escaped his markers to head Fabregas's corner inside Carlo Cudicini's near post.

Chelsea though, who lost the lead three times in Wednesday's remarkable 4-4 draw against Tottenham Hotspur at White Hart Lane, this time found the strength to pull themselves back into the game and they equalised with 17 minutes to go.

Arsenal failed to clear a long ball from John Terry which ran loose to Drogba who thundered the ball past the previously unbeatable Manuel Almunia for the equaliser.

Some wayward defending cost Arsenal the game soon after when Kolo Toure failed to cut out Joe Cole's cross and Drogba pounced to score.

The Chelsea fans, who had jeered Avram Grant's double substitution after 70 minutes when he replaced Claude Makelele and Michael Ballack with Juliano Belleti and Nicolas Anelka, were screaming in delight at the end.

Chelsea are now back with a fighting chance of securing the title for the third time in four seasons and Manchester United's visit to Stamford Bridge on April 26 is likely to be another pivotal battle.

(Editing by Miles Evans)