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.

Variety.

That's Terry's third of the season on his 650th club appearance.

GOAL! Chelsea get off to a flyer as John Terry rises to thump Fabregas' right-wing corner into the net.

A 1-0 success for Stoke City would see both Chelsea and Man City level at the top of the league across the board on Christmas Day, with identical points, goals scored, goals conceded et al. The teams would share the summit going into the festive period if that is the case, but if it happens at the end of the season a play-off clash would decide the destiny of the Premier League crown.

KICK OFF! Chelsea get us up and running.

Stoke's only win in 12 Premier League encounters with Chelsea came in this fixture last season, when they triumphed 3-2 courtesy of a last-minute winner from Oussama Assaidi.

Stat via Infostrada: Chelsea have kept five clean sheets in the last six PL matches in which John Terry and Gary Cahill have featured.

Man City fans will have their fingers crossed that their ex-boss can do it again!

NOTABLE NAMES ON THE TEAM SHEET: Thibaut Courtois is recalled in place of Petr Cech in the Chelsea goal after overcoming a groin injury. Cesc Fabregas is back from suspension while Cesar Azpilicueta is the last of three changes made by Mourinho. Stoke are boosted by the news that Bojan is fit to start with Marc Muniesa and Marko Arnautovic also involved.

Jose Mourinho: "I like these matches. It’s no problem - with a good referee that can understand what is 'aggressivity', or when 'aggressivity' finishes and when the rules of the game start. We need a good, experienced referee who can understand exactly that. [on keeping fringe squad players happy] It’s not a difficult situation for me. I’m very club, team, team, club, group. I think everybody has to be ready to sacrifice for the team, to give everything for the team, to think about the team, not to be selfish. This is the way I want a team to be... If they are not involved I don’t have a secret to keeping them happy. They are unhappy and frustrated, and need to be patient, but the reality is that, to be successful and work at a high level, you don’t need to be happy. All of them are professionals. The team is more important than individuals."

Mark Hughes: "Nobody else has [won the quadruple] but they’ve got the potential to do it. I would have to say yes, they are strong enough. There will be some very good teams who will try and stand in the way but I don’t think where we are sat today you could argue that they’ve got no chance because that would be incorrect. They have a chance, a better chance than most teams. The talk of winning every trophy, maybe in-house they believe that themselves. It wouldn’t surprise me if they did. Once they get to a point in the season, around March or April, and if they are still in all competitions, having probably won the League Cup, then they will feel it’s a real option for them, a real possibility. You wouldn’t back against them if they get to that point in the season. It certainly wouldn’t surprise me if they won all four.”

Some pre-match views from Chelsea's Branislav Ivanovic as he arrived at the Britannia a little earlier. He added: "In this [Christmas] period games are always difficult and this is one of the games that show how good your team is."

TEAMS - STOKE: Begovic, Bardsley, Shawcross, Muniesa, Pieters, Cameron, Nzonzi, Walters, Bojan, Arnautovic, Crouch... Subs: Butland, Huth, Whelan, Wilson, Adam, Diouf, Assaidi. /// CHELSEA: Courtois, Ivanovic, Cahill, Terry, Azpilicueta, Mikel, Matic, Willian, Fabregas, Hazard, Diego Costa... Subs: Cech, Filipe Luis, Zouma, Ake, Oscar, Schurrle, Drogba.