Moises Caicedo rescued Chelsea from an increasingly anxious evening at Stamford Bridge, nodding home the decisive goal in the 78th minute to secure a hard-fought 1-0 triumph over Cypriot champions Pafos.
The Ecuadorian midfielder's header from Pedro Neto's corner proved the difference in what had become a testing encounter for Liam Rosenior's side.
The slender victory propelled Chelsea into eighth position in the Champions League table on goal difference.
It was Rosenior's maiden European fixture since taking charge at Stamford Bridge, with the former Strasbourg manager now boasting three wins from his opening four matches.
Moises Caicedo broke the deadlock with a late header from a corner
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Jay Gorter emerged as the outstanding performer of the evening, producing a string of superb saves to keep his side in contention throughout.
The Dutch goalkeeper denied Caicedo on no fewer than three occasions before the midfielder finally found a way past him.
Gorter's reflexes proved exceptional, thwarting efforts from Jorrel Hato and Estevao Willian with full-stretch stops that drew admiration from the home supporters.
The 24-year-old's commanding display ensured Pafos remained competitive despite Chelsea enjoying more than seventy per cent of possession.
His heroics meant the Blues were forced to wait until twelve minutes from time before finally breaching the visitors' rearguard.
Enzo Fernandez had a goal ruled out after VAR insisted there was a foul in the build-up
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Chelsea's dominance of the ball yielded precious little reward for much of the contest.
Enzo Fernandez thought he had broken the deadlock in the eighteenth minute, only for his close-range header to be chalked off following a foul on Derrick Luckassen.
The decision sparked vociferous protests from the home faithful and set an uneasy tone for proceedings.
Pafos themselves came within inches of a shock lead when Jaja's strike from the edge of the area cannoned off the woodwork after deflecting off Reece James.
The visitors' appeals for a handball penalty were dismissed by officials, leaving both sides frustrated as the first half drew to a close.
Chelsea's goal calmed down a tense crowd at Stamford Bridge
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The result maintains Chelsea's prospects of progressing directly to the knockout rounds without the need for a play-off fixture.
Rosenior's men must now travel to Naples for their concluding group stage encounter on 28th January, where victory would almost certainly guarantee passage to the last sixteen.
Finishing outside the top eight would condemn the Blues to an additional two-legged tie in February.
Cypriot side Pafos put on a resilient showing at Stamford Bridge
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Chelsea supporters will take heart from the club's history of mid-season managerial appointments preceding European glory, with Roberto Di Matteo in 2012 and Thomas Tuchel in 2021 both lifting the trophy after taking charge partway through their respective campaigns.