Victory striker Kennedy White continued her barnstorming run by scoring the opening goal of Friday night's A-League Women match in just the fourth minute.
It marked the American's sixth goal from as many games this season.
But it was all Canberra from that point on, with Nanako Sasaki levelling the scores in the 22nd minute, before Sasha Grove's 55th-minute floater gave the visitors a shock lead.
The upset win was sealed in the 77th minute when Victory defender Kayla Morrison turned the ball into her own net.
Canberra had posted just one win from their previous 16 trips to Victoria, and hadn't beaten Victory in Melbourne since December 28, 2016.
The shock result on Friday night lifted Canberra (seven points) into the top four for the time being, albeit having played one or two more games than most of their rivals.
Victory (nine points) could topple to as low as fourth by the end of the weekend, depending on other results.
"It was just a crazy game," Grove told Paramount.
"The girls were absolutely sensational. It couldn't feel any better, because we put in the effort, we just grinded that one out, and we're coming home with the win."
It took just four minutes for Victory to open the scoring, with a whipped cross from Holly Furphy expertly glanced in by White.
Canberra's reply arrived courtesy of a giant slice of luck, with Bethany Gordon's strike taking a wicked deflection off teammate Sasaki and wrong-footing the goalkeeper.
Grove finished off a brilliant team play early in the second half by trapping a pass with her left foot before almost immediately firing off the shot on her right, with the ball floating majestically before crashing in off the upright.
"I was a little bit shocked," Grove said.
"But heading into this week, even at home, my brother was like, 'If you don't shoot, you can't score'."
And when Canberra substitute Sofia Christopherson sent in a dangerous cross in the 77th minute, Morrison's attempt to clear it went horribly awry, with the ball instead going into her own net.
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