JUST WIDE! Bojan eventually finds some space around 25 yards from goal and hits a shot with the outside of his foot, and though Courtois dives away to his right, the ball bounces just wide of the post.
90' +5
The ball is worked to Bojan on the edge of the box but Fabregas makes a strong challenge. Chelsea then break through Schurrle but the Germany international's shot is weak and Begovic can collect.
90' +3
K. Zouma enters the game and replaces E. Hazard.
Hazard is eventually replaced as Zouma comes on in his place. The winger heads down the tunnel to no doubt receive some further treatment.
90' +2
Hazard has got back to his feet but it looks as if he is still struggling. Meanwhile N'Zonzi tries his luck from 25 yards but his shot is high and wide of Courtois' goal.
90'
J. Walters gets yellow.
Hazard has gone down after being clipped on the back of the ankle by Walters, and the Stoke man picks up a yellow card for his troubles. Some concern here for the Belgium winger. There will be five minutes ot stoppage time to play.
88'
The home fans are slowly starting to filter out as Drogba tries his luck from 30 yards, but his powerful drive is always too high and flies over the crossbar.
86'
GOOD SAVE! Assaidi has looked bright since coming on, and he almost pulls one back with an angled drive that Courtois gets down quickly to parry away from danger.
85'
D. Drogba enters the game and replaces Diego Costa.
That is Costa's final action of the night as he is replaced by Drogba for the final five minutes. The Spain forward has put in a real shift despite not finding the net.
84'
GOOD SAVE! Costa has worked tirelessly tonight but he really should have scored there. Schurrle carried the ball across the box before finding the striker in space, but Begovic closes down the angle well to save with his body.
82'
O. Assaidi enters the game and replaces M. Arnautović.
Stoke make their third and final change as Arnautovic is replaced by Assaidi. He will have to go some way to repeating his heroics from this fixture last season.
Minute
Description
80'
A. Schürrle enters the game and replaces Willian.
Chelsea make their first change of the night as Schurrle replaces Willian. The visiting fans from west London are already celebrating in the stands, knowing their team will be top of the table at Christmas.
78'
Cesc Fàbregas has scored a goal for Chelsea! Assist by E. Hazard.
GOAL!!! FABREGAS DOUBLES CHELSEA'S LEAD! That should be that, and it is a wonderful goal by the Blues. Hazard plays the ball into Fabregas' path, and though he mishits his shot across Begovic, it dribbles over the line with the goalkeeper wrong-footed.
75'
Chelsea have not been quite as solid in possession in midfield in recent minutes, and they will rue not taking advantage of their dominance if they throw the three points away here.
73'
Adam has certainly added some impetus to the Stoke midfield, and the former Liverpool man is looking to drive the Potters forward when he gets on the ball.
71'
JUST WIDE! So close for Stoke as Matic loses the ball around 30 yards from goal. Eventually N'Zonzi gives the ball to Adam in space on the edge of the box, but he slightly slices his shot and it fades just wide of the post.
70'
Adam gets involved for the first time as he curls a ball into the box, but Walters cannot get his head on it at the back post. The former Ipswich man is the Potters' main aerial threat in forward areas now.
68'
C. Adam enters the game and replaces G. Cameron.
Adam is being introduced by the home side, with the disappointing Cameron the man replaced. Into the final quarter of the match now.
67'
Arnautovic does well to skip past one challenge on the edge of the area, but his curling shot is deflected wide. Bojan's corner is a poor one, though, and Chelsea can clear with ease.
65'
Bojan looks to have been pushed up front alongside Diouf, but Stoke will have to get the ball down and look to hit Chelsea on the counterattack. WIthout Crouch balls into the box will be much less effective.
63'
M. Diouf enters the game and replaces P. Crouch.
Stoke make the first change of the evening as Crouch is replaced by Diouf. That should give the Potters more pace up front but they have lost a physical presence. Crouch heads straight down the tunnel clutching his neck.
61'
Willian picks the ball up on the left-hand side this time and runs at the home defence. Eventually he cuts inside to shoot, but Shawcross gets a block in and Begovic can come and collect.
59'
Bojan picks the ball up in space around 35 yards from goal, but he cannot get past Mikel. The former Barcelona man has not been at his best this evening.
57'
Chelsea still look a threat whenever they attack, though they haven't had the same control of possession in the second half as they did in the first. Stoke still need to do more in the final third, however.
55'
Hazard does brilliantly to get away from Bardsley on the left-hand side of the area before playing the ball into Fabregas, but the former Arsenal man can only chip a finish into the hands of Begovic.
53'
E. Pieters gets yellow.
Pieters goes into the book for an pulling Costa back during that earlier move. Both Stoke full-backs have now picked up yellow cards.
52'
GOOD SAVE! Willian has come to life in this second half, and Begovic has to be alert to deny him. The Brazil international cuts inside from the right before driving a low effort that the goalkeeper does well to hold onto low to his right.
50'
Willian has been fairly quiet for Chelsea tonight but he does well this time to get around Pieters and deliver a cross. Begovic is able to come and collect, however, with Costa unable to get on the end of it.
48'
Stoke begin the second half brightly and get some quality ball into the box. Bardsley picks out Crouch in the middle, but the big striker cannot direct his header on target and it loops over the bar.
46'
No changes for either side at the break, and Stoke kick off to get us back underway...
45' +2
Stoke are looking to build up a head of steam at the end of this first half, but Shawcross has to be alert to get back and make a fine challenge on Costa. The striker was ready to shoot from the edge of the area there.
45'
We will have three minutes of stoppage time at the end of the first half, and Chelsea will be happy enough with how they have gone about this first half. Stoke struggling for ideas.
43'
Chelsea continue to have the monopoly of possession as they look to play down the clock until half-time. They have been very patient in the first half and deserve their lead.
41'
The delivery into the area from Stoke has not been good enough in this first half, with Crouch unable to really attack any crosses and put the Chelsea defence under pressure. The Potters must improve that facet of their game given how vital it is to their usual style of play.
39'
Stoke had a very good period earlier in the half but they have been unable to keep that intensity going in the last 10 minutes. They may now look to get to the break just 1-0 down and go again in the second half.
37'
The game has entered a bit of a lull as Chelsea look to keep possession and wear down the Stoke defence. Mourinho will be pleased with the way his side are going about this one so far.
35'
We are in the midst of another brief stoppage as Bardsley receives some treatment after being caught on the ankle by Hazard. Eventually he gets to his feet and limps away, but he will look to continue.
33'
Cameron has looked to get forward much more in the last few minutes, and his cross this time is a dangerous one. Crouch is preparing himself to head towards goal, but Cahill gets up well to get the ball clear.
31'
JUST WIDE! Big chance for Chelsea to double their lead, but Costa cannot finish it. Cameron loses the ball in midfield and Fabregas plays a fantastic through ball for his Spain team-mate. Costa takes a touch before hitting a shot across Begovic, but his effort rolls just the wrong side of the post.
29'
Mourinho's side have looked to grapple control back in the last few minutes, and are keeping possession well in midfield. Matic unsurprisingly is at the heart of everything alongside Mikel.
27'
Chelsea have been rocked by the way have Stoke have lifted the pace in the last 10 minutes, but the visitors remain a real threat on the break. Hazard is causing panic whenever he is given space to drive at the home defence.
25'
There is certainly some needle between the two sides now, with Costa going toe-to-toe with Shawcross while the home side have looked to up the tempo. After a quiet start we have a real game on now.
23'
Mourinho's mood is not lifted as a Chelsea counterattack is ended as referee Swarbrick intercepts a pass in midfield. The Blues were outnumbering their hosts, but the officials intervention stopped them in their tracks.
21'
GOOD SAVE! The whole stadium has been lifted by that incident, and Stoke almost grab an equaliser. N'Zonzi hits a low effort from 25 yards that deflects off Terry. Courtois is wrong-footed but reacts brilliantly to get down to his left and push the ball behind. A fine stop.
20'
P. Bardsley gets yellow.
19'
Bardsley goes in with a late challenge on Hazard, and Mourinho is on the pitch as he appeals for a card. Eventually the full-back is booked, and the Chelsea boss remains very angry with that foul.
17'
A long throw from Cameron leads to a Stoke corner, and though Bojan's delivery is good, Courtois comes off his line well to collect on the edge of the six-yard box.
15'
Some concern here for Chelsea as Costa stays down clutching his back after being sandwiched between Shawcross and N'Zonzi as he looked to win a header. Eventually he is able to get to his feet and he should be able to continue.
13'
Stoke look to get forward down the right-hand side, but the attack is ended as Bardsley brings Hazard down by the corner flag. The former Lille man has been very impressive at both ends of the pitch thus far.
11'
N'Zonzi and Cameron have not been able to keep control of possession in midfield, and as a result Stoke have been unable to launch any attacks of note. Chelsea far more comfortable than some thought they would be prior to kick-off.
9'
Crouch has been the target whenever Stoke win possession, but the former Liverpool forward has been unable to hold the ball up under pressure from Terry and Cahill. Bojan is yet to really get involved.
7'
Costa gets involved for the first time as he gives the ball to Hazard on the edge of the box before having it returned to him by the Belgian, but he cannot hook his shot on target and it dribbles harmlessly wide.
6'
Chelsea look very comfortable in possession, with Stoke unable to get any forward momentum going as they chase an equaliser. It's still early, but this is a very professional showing from the league leaders.
4'
The Britannia seems to have shocked into silence by that early goal. It is very rare that Stoke concede from set-pieces, but Terry showed great endeavour to get on the end of the cross and head powerfully past Begovic.
2'
J. Terry has scored a goal for Chelsea! Assist by Cesc Fàbregas.
GOAL!!! TERRY OPENS THE DEADLOCK! What a start by Chelsea! After Ivanovic's shot is deflected behind, the resulting corner is won by Terry around eight yards from goal, and the Chelsea captain barely ever misses from there.
1'
The usual pre-match niceties are over, and Chelsea kick off to get us underway...
Hello and welcome to live coverage of the Premier League encounter between Stoke City and Chelsea. Jose Mourinho's side's lead at the top of the table has been cut dramatically in recent weeks, but they will still be hopeful of heading into the festive period at the summit. I'm Tom Maston and I'll be guiding you through all the action from the Britannia Stadium.
Manchester City's fine form has seen them move level on points with Chelsea at the top of the table, and a defeat for the Blues tonight could see them drop below Manuel Pellegrini's side on goal difference. The Stamford Bridge outfit were defeated in their last away league game at Newcastle, and have not quite hit the heights of their early-season form in recent weeks.
Before we go any further, the two team line-ups have been announced ahead of kick-off in around 20 minutes...
Mark Hughes' side have struggled for consistency so far this season, and though they have beaten Manchester City, Tottenham and Arsenal, they only find themselves in 13th position. The Potters have certainly lifted their game against the traditional big sides, and with home advantage they will again be confident of posing Chelsea plenty of problems tonight.
Stoke City subs: Butland, Huth, Wilson, Adam, Whelan, Assaidi, Diouf.
Chelsea subs: Cech, Filipe, Zouma, Ake, Oscar, Schurrle, Drogba.
Stoke make two changes to the side that drew with Crystal Palace last time out. Marc Muniesa returns from injury while Marko Arnautovic is recalled. Marc Wilson and Mame Biram Diouf drop to the bench while Bojan Krkic is fit to start after coming off early at Selhurst Park last week.
Mourinho, meanwhile, makes three changes to the side that beat Hull City in their last league match, with Thibaut Courtois fit again and Cesc Fabregas available after suspension. Cesar Azpilicueta also comes back in for Filipe Luis at left-back. Oscar must make do with a place on the bench as Jon-Obi Mikel is preferred in midfield. The Nigeria international will be looking for a good performance in what is his 250th Chelsea start.
Chelsea's recent form at the Britannia Stadium is not great, with the Blues having won just once on their last four visits to Staffordshire. Oussama Assaidi's last-minute strike gave the Potters all three points last season, and the home fans would love a repeat this time around.
The two teams have made their way into the tunnel and the atmosphere in the stadium is certainly building. There have been traffic problems around the stadium, but we will get underway on time and plenty of fans do seem to have been able to take their seats prior to kick-off.
The two teams make their way onto the pitch and we are almost ready to get going. Can Stoke again shock a big team, or will Chelsea get back to their best? We're about to find out...
The half-time whistle blows, and Terry's very early goal separates the two sides at the break. Stoke have struggled to create much in the final third, and they need to up their intensity if they are to get back into this one.
Hazard has been very bright in the opening 45 minutes, and he may well hold the key to Chelsea putting this game to bed. The Potters need their own playmaker Bojan to get involved more if they are to equalise. I'll be back in 10 minutes for the second half.
The two teams are making their way back out onto the field, and Hughes will no doubt be hoping the fans can again lift his team as they did for a period in the first half. Mourinho will just be hoping for more of the same you would think.
And that is the final action of the night as Chelsea move three points clear at the top of the Premier League table. Terry's early goal set the tone before Fabregas sealed the points, and the visitors full deserved their victory.
In seven of the last 10 seasons, the team that has been top at Christmas has gone onto win the league, and Chelsea are in that position this time around. Despite Manchester City's form, they still look the team to beat. For now, I've been Tom Maston and thanks for joining me.
Commentary
More…