Chelsea vs Arsenal as it happened: Marcos Alonso, Eden Hazard and Cesc Fabregas goals sink Gunners

Re-live updates from the Premier League lunchtime kick-off at Stamford Bridge

Marcos Alonso celebrates opening the scoring at Stamford Bridge (Getty)

Chelsea entertain Arsenal on Saturday lunchtime in what could be a defining fixture in this season's Premier League title race.

If Antonio Conte's side take revenge on the Gunners for their 3-0 thumping at the Emirates earlier this season, they will move 12 points clear of their London rivals at the top of the table.

However, if Arsene Wenger's men can somehow stop Conte's blue juggernaut, their own hopes of finishing top of the pile - and those of the other teams in the chasing pack - will be significantly boosted.

What time does it start?

Kick-off is at 12.30pm on Saturday 4 January.

Where can I watch it?

The game is live on Sky Sports 1 from 11.30am, with highlight on BBC1 at 10.30pm. You can also follow The Independent’s live blog for all the action.

Follow updates on our live blog below...

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It’s a big game for…

Arsene Wenger. The Arsenal boss will still be in the stands for the game after his four game touchline ban and after the midweek defeat to Watford it is a must-win game for the Gunners. Should Chelsea win, they will be 12 points clear of Arsenal, which would surely spell the end of their title charge.

Remember when…

Chelsea destroyed Arsenal 6-0 at Stamford Bridge to ruin Wenger’s 1,000^th game in charge in March 2014.

Player to watch…

Cesc Fabregas. The former Arsenal captain got his first start under Antonio Conte when the Gunners blew Chelsea away at the start of the season but has been in and out of the team since. He is unlikely to start but is such a fantastic option from the bench and has the ability to create chances against a tiring midfield.

Past three meetings…

Arsenal 3 (Walcott, Sanchez, Ozil) Chelsea 0

September 24, 2016, Premier League

Arsenal 0 Chelsea 1 (Costa)

January 24, 2016, Premier League

Chelsea 2 (Zouma, Chambers OG) Arsenal 0

September 19, 2015, Premier League

Form guide…

Chelsea: LWWWWD

Arsenal: DWWWWL

Odds…

Chelsea: 19/20

Arsenal: 33/10

Draw: 13/5

(Odds provided by 888sport)

[4 February 2017 11:10 · Joe Miles]

Good morning and welcome to The Independent's live coverage as Arsenal head to Stamford Bridge for the 12:30 kick off. A win for Chelsea today will put a huge dent in The Gunners title hopes, with Conte's men looking to continue their fine form at the top of the table. 

The visitors beat Chelsea on home turf in September 3-0, which was Chelsea's first Premier League defeat to their opponents was the first in 10 meetings. 

Stay tuned for team news, updates and minute-by-minute coverage of the action. 

[4 February 2017 11:11 · Joe Miles]

[4 February 2017 11:19 · Joe Miles]

Let's put an end to this once and for all. Which striker would you rather have in your side?

[4 February 2017 11:21 · Joe Miles]

[4 February 2017 11:25 · Joe Miles]

Team news announced very shortly. 

Will Pedro return to the Chelsea line-up after missing out on Tuesday?

Can Cesc Fabregas make an impact against his former side? 

Danny Wellbeck was rested during the week, but will he start today? 

We'll see.

[4 February 2017 11:33 · Joe Miles]

Team news  

[4 February 2017 11:47 · Joe Miles]

[4 February 2017 11:51 · Joe Miles]

[4 February 2017 12:01 · Joe Miles]

The Gunners do not have the best record on Stamford Bridge turf, with four defeats in their last four visits. Nonetheless, can Wenger's men do the league double over their opponents today for the first time since the 2003/04 season? We'll see.

The Arsenal boss is currently serving a four-match touchline ban following an incident involving an official. As a result, Wenger will be watching the game today from a designated area inside of the stadium. This could have a huge impact on the visitors performance.

[4 February 2017 12:06 · Joe Miles]