Good evening and welcome to LIVE coverage of Stoke City's Premier League clash with table-topping Chelsea. Jose Mourinho's men are targeting a positive result that would see them remain at the summit at Christmas. The action gets underway at the Britannia at 8pm GMT.

Premier League / Matchday 17

bet365 Stadium / 22.12.2014

Stoke City

Completed

Chelsea

J. Terry(2')
C. Fàbregas(78')

Live

Live Updates

ByThe Editorial Team

Updated 22/12/2014 at 21:55 GMT

59'

PHOTO: The Chelsea skipper's goal still separates the sides as we approach the hour mark.

Image credit: Getty Images

57'

Willian's weak attempt from the edge of the box is miscued clear to Matic who continues the calamity by completely scuffing an attempted volley that goes no where near the goal. Stoke clear their lines.

56'

Is this run about to end? Former Chelsea player Mark Hughes has won two and lost none of his last four matches as a manager in home games against the Blues.

55'

Lots of frenzied footwork from Hazard on the left of the area and he eventually digs out a dinked cross for Fabregas who sees his flick nestle in the grateful hands of Begovic.

54'

Bojan skips to the right byline but his cross is blocked. Corner... it comes to nothing.

53'

Pieters booked as the referee returns to the scene of his crime for some handbags with Costa.

52'

Willian bursts into the right side of the area but sees his low shot across goal thwarted by Begovic.

52'

Arnautovic flings a right-footed cross in from the left but Crouch can't get free in the area and the danger passes for the visitors.

51'

Willian glides to the right byline but his cross is too close to Begovic who gobbles it up at the near post. Lovely feet by Hazard in the build up.

50'

Fabregas goes down in the box. He wants a spot kick but the referee had already halted play.

50'

Bardsley whips a cross towards Crouch but the one-time England man guides his header over the bar.

49'

Bardsley's speculative shot is deflected and looks set to go out for a corner, but Courtois is having none of it and gets across to punch it on the slide. Throw-in instead. Fine keeping.

48'

Bad reading for Stoke fans... (via Infostrada) Chelsea have held a one-goal lead at HT on 60 occasions in the PL under Jose Mourinho, losing just one (W52-D7), at Middlesbrough on 23 August 2006 (2-1).

47'

Chelsea's goal was Stoke's 10th PL goal of the season conceded from a set-piece, a PL-high alongside West Bromwich Albion.

46'

KICK OFF! Stoke restart the match. Chelsea are unbeaten in the first-half of PL matches this season (W10-D7), a PL-high.

45+3'

HT: Stoke 0-1 Chelsea. Terry's early header has the Blues in control and on course for the Christmas number one.

45+2'

Fabregas clips a high pass towards Costa who does brilliantly to engage two defenders before being halted just outside the area by a well-timed challenge from Shawcross.

45+1'

Replays showing Bardsley had a chunk of Costa's shirt in an incident a few minutes ago. If the referee had spotted it, the defender could well have seen red.

45'

Three minutes added due to the stoppages.

44'

The Potters have failed to score in five of the last six Premier League games against Chelsea... it's looking like it will be six in seven unless they make a huge improvement after the break.

43'

Chelsea very much in their comfort zone but Mourinho won't be content with the 1-0 lead. He won't want to be punished late on. A killer goal will no doubt be the focus of his HT team talk.

123456