Friends, how are we? It’s Eoin O’Callaghan here to bring you through today’s mouthwatering clash at Stamford Bridge.

The Chelsea team news sees Mourinho bring back Cesar Azpilicueta who was rested against Sporting Lisbon midweek while Cesc Fabregas starts against his former club.

For Arsenal, Jack Wilshere returns with Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain dropping to the bench.

An odd occasion for Fabregas, certainly. And Arsenal fans are maybe a little confused at what reception they should offer up.

Here are the teams:

CHELSEA: Courtois, Ivanovic, Cahill, Terry (c), Azpilicueta; Matic, Fabregas; Schurrle, Oscar, Hazard; Diego Costa.

ARSENAL: Szczesny, Chambers, Mertesacker, Koscielny, Gibbs, Wilshere, Flamini, Cazorla, Ozil, Alexis, Welbeck.

GAME DELAYED! Well, things have been pushed back here until 2.20. There’s been ‘an incident’. More information when we get it.

So, apparently a flare has been let off at the away end and that’s slowed down some fans’ getting to their seats.

Interesting if that has affected either side’s preparation. Hardly ideal to have to return to the dressing rooms and re-focus, etc. Teams are just about to head onto the hallowed Stamford Bridge turf…

Contrasting words about where the flares were set off. Many have said everything happened outside but this photo might suggest otherwise:

AND WE’RE OFF! How do we think it’s going to go?

3 mins – Sanchez is a long way from goal and tries his luck. But it’s never going to trouble Courtois and it trickles wide of the near post.

Terrific atmosphere at The Bridge. Lots of noise from the Arsenal fans. It’s hinting at a pretty special afternoon. Let’s hope.

Flamini is talking to his centre backs about stepping up higher and closing the space down between the lines. Arsenal allowing Chelsea have the ball at the back and aren’t pressing that far up the pitch. In contrast to Mourinho’s system, really.

9 mins – OUCH! Courtois comes off his line to smother as Sanchez can’t quite control a nice ball over the top. The Belgian keeper gets a knee in the jaw for his troubles. He receives attention but is fit to continue. We’ll keep an eye on it.

15 mins – A bit of needle to proceedings here. Matic goes in heavy but referee Martin Atkinson waves play on and then, moment later, Gibbs brings down Hazard. Free-kick given – decent position…

…but it comes to nothing. Arsenal do well to keep their offside in place and Chelsea players are too far forward.

As expected, Arsenal have brought a little more discipline to the blue side of London today. The full-backs haven’t made rampaging runs forward so Chelsea haven’t been able to find much space so far. A tight affair with no clear cuts chances yet. 197 days ago, Arsenal were 3-0 down. Progress.

20 mins – HANDBAGS! Well, this is incredible. Gary Cahill absolutely cements Alexis Sanchez and picks up a yellow card. Wenger is incensed on the touchline and, for some reason, confronts Mourinho, the pair square up to each other and Wenger pushes The Special One in the chest. Atkinson comes over to calm things down but this is explosive stuff so far.

21 mins – Calum Chambers picks up a yellow card for another thumping challenge. This is getting very, very tasty.

Here’s that confrontation between the two managers. Who would you back in a fight?

24 mins – SUBSTITUTION! Cech (on) – Courtois (off)

Change of goalkeepers for Chelsea – remember Courtois was involved in that nasty collision with Alexis Sanchez earlier on.

27 mins – GOAL! Hazard penalty!

Well, incredible stuff. Hazard takes off on a mazy dribble, taking it around two players, rapidly changing direction and he’s unceremoniously dumped to the ground by Koscielny’s leg. The defender gets away with just a yellow card, Atkinson feeling there was some cover in the area. But, that’s debatable. Surely it was still a goal-scoring opportunity?

No doubt it’s a penalty though and Hazard steps up himself to send Szczesny the wrong way. Cool, cool customer.

Here’s the run by Hazard that made the penalty. The footwork is superb.

Jogi Loew is in the house. That’s nice. Also, Arsenal have responded well to going behind. Still haven’t managed to create much. But, plenty of reasons to be positive.

Interesting comparison though Hazard’s superb individuality has proved the biggest difference so far.

45 mins – Calum Chambers is lucky here. Chelsea break quickly and spread it long and wide to Schurrle on the left. Arsenal players try to get back but the German checks inside Chambers right on the edge of the area and he’s barged off the ball. Atkinson awards a free-kick but doesn’t show Chambers another yellow. Arsenal escape after Fabregas’ free-kick is cleared.

Four minutes of injury-time, by the way, because of that injury to Courtois. Arsenal are almost in after some neat passing inside the area. A Chelsea boot just manages to get it away.

Wenger is cutting an increasingly frustrated figure on the touchline. Oscar brings down Wilshere though Atkinson refuses to show him a yellow. The Brazilian has been involved with a few late challenges and Wenger can’t believe he’s not been booked.

HALF-TIME! Well, we had to wait a while longer for it to get underway but it has been worth it. Hazard’s magic, Jose v Wenger on the touchline, Courtois forced off because of injury and tackles flying in everywhere. It’s perfectly poised for the second half though Arsenal’s inability to create much in the opening period is a worry.

Confirmation that Courtois has been take to hospital for tests. Once again, we’ll be hearing plenty about the Belgian allowed to continue after receiving such a powerful blow to the head.

Picture of the season, already?

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In the moment it looked quite bad but this image of Cahill’s challenge on Alexis Sanchez (what sparked the confrontation between Wenger and Mourinho) is damning. Wenger, no doubt, will talks post-match about how Cahill should’ve been dished a straight red for this.

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AND WE’RE OFF AGAIN! Second half underway at Stamford Bridge.

Some nice touches again from Arsenal as Sanchez and Cazorla combine. The ball slipped through for Welbeck is just slightly too long and that’s been the story so far for the visitors – just lacking that quality with the final ball. Also, Oxlade-Chamberlain was warming up quite a bit at the break so we’re certain to see him soon if Arsenal don’t make the breakthrough.

50 mins – CLOSE! Cazorla picks it up on the edge of the area after a nice dummy and has space top shoot. It’s a decent effort, low towards Cech’s bottom left corner. But it’s always bending away from goal and the keeper watches it all the way. Solid effort but always going wide.

53 mins – BOOKING! Ivanovic is the latest player to get shown a yellow. Cynical pull-back after getting his pocket picked on the edge of the Arsenal area. The guests were prepared to launch a quick counter and the Serb conceded the foul.

54 mins - Szczesny gets lucky twice in quick succession. He’s out of his goal to cut off a long ball towards Costa but he sends the clearance straight at the Chelsea striker. Luckily, it ricochets straight to an Arsenal player. Moments later, Chambers plays it back to his goalkeeper who conjures another weak clearance straight down the middle of the pitch.

58 mins – VERY CLOSE!

Hazard takes off wide left and charges towards the Arsenal penalty area. His cut-back strikes Flamini and heads towards the net but Szczesny gets a slight touch and it thumps off the outside of the upright. Not sure how much the keeper knew about it but it was a vital touch. Arsenal seem absolutely terrified when Hazard gets on it and he’s still being afforded far too much space.

Chelsea have gone up a gear in the last 5 minutes or so. Arsenal need some inspiration – Welbeck and Ozil in particular have been poor.

63 mins – BIG CALL! 

Wilshere cracks a shot toward goal from the edge of the box. Fabregas slides in to try and block. His arms are out-stretched and the ball comes back off him. Un-natural position for his hands but Atkinson waves away the protests. Probably only a free-kick, if given but it should’ve been.

Somewhere in there, Schurrle has also picked up a yellow card. There’s been five of them now.

A telling moment. Arsenal break with Alexis Sanchez. He looks around and plays it left to Ozil. Through the middle is Welbeck. But there’s a lack of movement and Chelsea get plenty of bodies back. Arsenal try and recycle but it ends up with Cazorla trying a shot from the edge of the area that’s charged down. Very predictable stuff from the visitors.

69 mins – SUBSTITUTIONS! Oxlade-Chamberlain (on) – Cazorla (off) and Mikel (on) – Schurrle (off)

Both sides chance things around. The Ox, as predicted, comes in to offer more purpose and energy. Meanwhile, Mikel will sit alongside Matic and it becomes a lot harder for Arsenal to break Chelsea down now.

Calum Chambers tries one from a difficult angle but it’s always rising. Maybe Arsenal’s best bet is from distance though it’s hardly their style, is it? Tough to see how they’re going to break Chelsea down with 16 minutes (plus injury time) left…

76 mins – VERY CLOSE! And that’s the difference. Costa is sent away, wide left, and he’s all alone with plenty to do. He charges towards the Arsenal goal, despite a litany of defenders around him. Hazard makes a great run inside to offer support and Costa squeezes a perfect pass through to the Belgian who takes a first touch at pace to take him away from a challenge and one v one with Szczesny, he blazes narrowly over.

78 mins – GOAL! Costa!

It had to be. He really hasn’t done much at all this afternoon but he had just popped up to set up Hazard moments ago and this time, the striker applies the perfect finishing touch. Fabregas sends a terrific pass towards him, it drops over the heads of the Arsenal centre backs and Costa knocks it past Szczesny as the keeper rushes off his line. Ruthless. And that’s the difference between these sides.

A couple of substitutions from Arsenal here with Podolski on for Sanchez and Rosicky coming on in place of Jack Wilshere. A disappointing day for the Gunners.

Oscar is given a rapturous reception as he departs. Willian comes on in his place. Arsenal fans are already looking at things rather ominously.

90 mins – CLOSE!

Podolski pops up in the area and forces Cech into a close-range save. The best Arsenal have mustered, really.

91 mins – OUCH!

Welbeck is a bit fortunate here as he cuts right through Fabregas. Gets away with just a yellow card.

We’re into the last minute of injury time here and there’s been a little bit of relief for Diego Costa who has missed an open goal from five yards. Luckily, he was about 10 yards offside. Though he didn’t know it at the time.

FULL-TIME! And, rather unsurprisingly, there’s no handshake between the two managers. Mourinho bolts straight down the tunnel and Wenger follows moments later. It’s a tasty sub-plot but the game was all about the lack of cutting edge for Arsenal when they needed it most. In the final third, they just couldn’t find a way through. Ozil and Welbeck struggled (the latter could’ve got sent-off late-on) while Sanchez, who looked the most likely to conjure something special, was replaced with 10 minutes left.

For Chelsea, they had 2 players in particular, Hazard and Costa, who stood up and did what was needed. Fabregas was solid though his assist for Costa’s goal will rightly receive plenty of plaudits.

We’ll be back with much more reaction on the site. Thanks for staying with us this afternoon.