Li Jinyu, top scorer in the league last year, struck twice before goals from Yang Kunpeng, Gilson and Zhou Liao in 14 second-half minutes earned Wuhan a surprise victory over last year's double winners.

The defeat, Shandong's second this season after they lost 1-0 to Shanghai Shenhua last month, cost the club their position at the top of the standings, leaving them in fifth place and three points adrift of leaders Tianjin Teda.

Li gave Shandong the perfect start when he scored past Wuhan goalkeeper Deng Xiaofei after just two minutes, the China international heading home Aleksandar Zivkovic's corner.

The 29-year-old added a second in the 38th minute, latching on to a pass from Wang Yongpo before slotting home from the edge of the area.

Shandong looked certainties for the three points at the interval, but a three-goal salvo in the second half handed Wuhan the win.

Yang Kunpeng sidefooted home in the 59th minute after Wang Xiaoshi's knock down, and six minutes later Brazilian Gilson made the most of a gaffe by Shandong keeper Li Leilei to level the scores.

In the 73rd minute, midfielder Zhou Liao outpaced Shandong's central defenders Shu Chang and Predrag Pazin to score the winner for the hosts.

"We had a stamina problem," said Shandong coach Liubisa Tumbakovic, whose side handed Dong Tam Long An a 4-0 defeat in the AFC Champions League on Wednesday.

"But I don't see stamina as an excuse because I believe the players could have done well. I didn't see any team work in today's game."

Shanghai Shenhua, meanwhile, had a change of fortune with their victory over Xiamen Lanshi.

Sergio Blanco's last-gasp goal earned last season's runners-up three points to join Tianjin at the top of the table with 13 points.

Also on Sunday, Beijing Guo'an handed Dalian Shide a 3-1 defeat, with Honduran forward Walter Martinez scoring twice, while Henan Jianye drew 0-0 with Shenzhen Kingway and Shaanxi Baorong lost 3-1 to Qingdao Zhongneng.