Welcome to Nigerianeye's live text coverage of the Premier League meeting between Chelsea and Manchester City at Stamford Bridge.
The Blues suffered a shock defeat to Crystal Palace here at the weekend - just a second home loss all term - to leave the door slightly ajar for the chasing pack to close in.
City were unable to truly take advantage, being held to a third draw in succession, but three points tonight and they will fancy a repeat of 2012 when overhauling a similar deficit on Manchester United to win the title.
Follow all of the action as it unfolds in West London with our extensive updates below.
OFFICIAL LINE-UPS
CHELSEA: Courtois; Zouma, David Luiz, Cahill; Azpilicueta, Kante, Fabregas, Alonso; Pedro, Costa, Hazard
CHELSEA SUBS: Begovic, Terry, Ake, Matic, Willian, Loftus-Cheek, Batshuayi
MANCHESTER CITY: Caballero; Clichy, Stones, Kompany, Fernandinho; Delph, Sane; Silva, De Bruyne, Navas; Aguero
MANCHESTER CITY SUBS: Bravo, Zabaleta, Fernando, Kolarov, Toure, Sterling, Nolito
The full-time whistle sounds at Stamford Bridge, meaning that Chelsea retain their seven-point lead at the advantage. This is a victory that has a title-winning feel to it, coming against arguably their toughest remaining opponents with only Manchester United among the big boys left to take on. Manchester City performed well in the first half but created less in the second and are now battling for fourth. Thanks for joining our live coverage of the match!
90+4 min FULL TIME: CHELSEA 2-1 MANCHESTER CITY
90+2 min CHANCE! City saving their best till last, it seems! Moments after Aguero was denied from a half volley - what a pass from Nolito, by the way - Stones somehow failed to convert when once again picked out from a corner. Connection was all wrong and the ball ended over the bar.
90 min SAVE! Hazard leaves the field to a standing ovation following his two-goal showing in the first half - the difference between the sides at this late stage. Aguero with a chance to equalise but his half-volley is stopped by Courtois.
88 min Spurs have won at Swansea but will remain seven points adrift of Chelsea as things stand. A win for Arsenal and possibly Liverpool, too, so a disappointing evening for City whose eight-game unbeaten run is looking like coming to an end.
86 min MANCHESTER CITY SUB! Nolito is now on for Sane as Guardiola goes all out for a late goal. Prior to that, Kompany was booked for a rash challenge on countryman Hazard close to the sidelines, letting frustration get the better of him.
82 min Not so much half a chance for Aguero but more a quarter of one. The striker got on the end of the corner from a very tight angle but could not find the target, or indeed a teammate, when attempting to blast towards goal.
80 min MANCHESTER CITY SUB! Guardiola at long lost rolls the dice by bringing on speedy wideman Raheem Sterling. Kevin De Bruyne is the man to make way, with 10 minutes left for Man City to find a response in West London.
78 min YELLOW CARD! Fabian Delph is the second City player to enter the referee's book. Big update to bring you from the Liberty Stadium, where Spurs have scored two goals in the closing stages to take a 2-1 lead!
76 min CHANCE! First chance Chelsea have created since going 2-1 ahead - and what a chance it was! Pedro and Fabregas linked up but the former's return pass was overhit, only for Hazard to get on the end of it just inside the area unmarked, though he failed to keep the shot on target.
74 min Chelsea win themselves a free kick within shooting range. Only one real candidate to take it on, but Luiz failed to get the ball over the wall and City are able to regroup and attack. Been a very quiet second half compared to the first.
72 min Silva slides the ball across for Aguero, but Cahill stands strong and blocks it aside - top defending! From the corner Kompany is beaten to the ball at the front post, before conceding a free kick for a foul on Hazard.
70 min Twenty minutes of the match left and we are awaiting Guardiola's first alteration. Sterling and Toure the obvious choices to come on for differing reasons, with the former in particular a good option against a tiring Blues defence.
68 min SHOT! Kompany stays up and tries to get on the end of a floated ball into the area, but Courtois bravely commands his box and collects. Up the other end Pedro's curler is heading for the bottom corner but Caballero was easily across.
66 min CHANCE! Best opening of the second half by quite some distance, as Stones meets a corner into the box. The centre-back sent the header right down the middle where Courtois was waiting - either side and it's 2-2.
64 min Liverpool have come from behind to lead Bournemouth at Anfield, while Swansea still lead Tottenham heading into the final stages in South Wales. At Stamford Bridge were are still awaiting the first real chance of a quieter second half.
62 min Guardiola bemused by Mike Dean's decision to give a free kick in Chelsea's favour. The Catalan coach can see the funny side of things on the sidelines, but Conte comes across and tells him to quieten down - one to keep an eye on!
60 min A rare error from Kante, if we can call it that, as he illegally halts the run of Silva when he did not look to be going anywhere fast. De Bruyne's free kick was low but Sane could not quite bring it under control.
58 min Approaching the hour mark in West London - usually the time when both managers will be thinking about making a change or two. Conte has already tinkered once, remember, bringing on Matic for Zouma at the midway point.
56 min Chelsea have come no closer to finding a third goal, instead focusing more on defending. That said, the Citizens have not truly tested Courtois since Aguero temporarily levelled things up 26 minutes into the contest.
54 min Solid defending from Cahill to thwart Aguero, who looked like he was about to accelerate in behind. Tottenham still behind in South Wales, while Liverpool are drawing with Bournemouth at Anfield. Another big night at the top end of the division.
52 min YELLOW CARD! Clichy is cautioned by referee Mike Dean for a heavy and mistimed challenge on Hazard out wide. No way through from the subsequent free kick as City stand strong and clear their lines.
50 min Another decent delivery into the box from Silva, but a Chelsea player got to it first. Delph hooked it over for Fernandinho, who awkwardly volleyed over from all of six yards out. Half a chance, that!
48 min OFF THE BAR! Bright start to the second half for City, who were so nearly level for a second time. Kompany peeled off Matic at the back post and saw his looping header - probably a cross - drop on to the crossbar.
46 min RESTART! We are back up and running at Stamford Bridge, where there is news of a half-time change. Nemanja Matic is on for Kurt Zouma, with Pedro seemingly slotting in at right wing-back and Azpilicueta shuffling more central.
Referee Mike Dean brings a lively first half to a close; Chelsea going into the break sitting on a one-goal lead. Sergio Aguero cancelled out Eden Hazard's 12th-of-the-season opener a little over midway through, but it did not take much longer for the Belgium international to add his second of the night after initially seeing his penalty kept out.
45+1 min HALF-TIME: CHELSEA 2-1 MANCHESTER CITY
44 min City playing more like the home team in this first half, with Chelsea happy to make the most of any counter-attacking opportunities when they arise. Half time just a minute or so away now, which is a shame because this is gripping.
42 min A few comings together in the space of a minute or so - Fabregas on Silva, Luiz on Aguero and Clichy on Hazard. Only the latter of them leads to a free kick, giving the hosts a chance to get their breath back.
40 min De Bruyne with a cross from the right that looked to be dipping towards the back-post area, if not for Courtois' intervention to help it behind for another City corner. The Citizens looking very bright when getting forward.
38 min City quickly up the other end in this breathless first half. Aguero takes on the shot from the edge of the box, seeing it take a slightly deflection that helps it past the post. That Hazard goal takes him up to 13 for the season, incidentally.
36 min Hazard's poor penalty is kept out by Caballero down to his left, but he is quickly on the rebound and just about converts for his second of the night. Against the run of play, the Blues now have their one-goal advantage back.
35 min GOAL! CHELSEA 2-1 MANCHESTER CITY (EDEN HAZARD)
33 min PENALTY TO CHELSEA! Big moment in the match now as Pedro quickly shifts the ball onto his right and is tripped in the area by Fernandinho. Simple play from the Blues, but Mike Dean correctly points to the penalty spot.
31 min Fair to say that City have been the better team since Hazard's opener. Really good response from the visitors, who are in the ascendancy and looking for that second goal of the evening after being given a boost by Aguero's leveller.
29 min SAVE! Relentless stuff at Stamford Bridge. Silva with an inch-perfect through-ball for Sane to race on to, but after getting to it first he failed to loft it over Courtois who has just about made amends for that previous howler.
27 min The second goalkeeping error of the night - this one even worse than Caballero's beforehand. Courtois clears the ball with a lofted pass... right at opposition midfielder Silva! The Spaniard took on the shot from a slight angle and to compound Courtois's misery he could only parry into the path of Aguero, who was never going to miss from five yards out.
26 min GOAL! CHELSEA 1-1 MANCHESTER CITY (SERGIO AGUERO)
24 min CLOSE! The visitors with a bit of fortune, as Fabregas got on the end of Hazard's pull-back and looked for the bottom corner. The ball took a big deflection off Clichy and dropped on to the roof of the net.
22 min SAVE! City starting to click into gear now, creating their first real chance of the match. Aguero wriggles his way through and looks to pick out the bottom corner with three men around him, but Courtois got down to his right to collect.
20 min SHOT! First real attempt from a City player, as Fernandinho drives into some space and lets leash from 25 yards out. Right down the middle in the end, however, and Courtois was able to routinely keep it out.
18 min The Blues sitting back perhaps a little too much since going ahead, with City now dominating possession and slowly looking to work the ball forward. The visitors still yet to create a chance of any note thus far, though.
16 min One shot on target for Chelsea and one goal - as efficient as you can get! City now seeing more of the ball since going behind, as Delph tries his luck from range but only succeeds in picking out the stands.
14 min Fourteen times Chelsea have opened the scoring in a Premier League game this season and 10 times they have gone on to win. The only defeat they have suffered in that run came just four days ago, so hope not yet lost for the Citizens.
12 min A shocker from Caballero, even accounting for a slight deflection off Kompany. Hazard was picked out inside the box and swept the ball on target, with the shot taking a nick off the returning skipper and slipping through the keeper's reach.
11 min GOAL! CHELSEA 1-0 MANCHESTER CITY (EDEN HAZARD)
9 min An attempted through-ball for De Bruyne is weak, and Fabregas does enough in his shield position in front of the back four to see it through. Just the one off-target Costa shot between the sides so far in a tight start to the match.
7 min Pedro twice lets down his teammates with some sloppy passing, the second straight to an opponent. Chelsea started just about the better side in these opening seven minutes or so, with visitors City yet to truly find their groove.
5 min Good inroads made by Hazard down the left-hand side, before spotting Costa in a bit of space on the edge of the box. The Spaniard had room but not enough to properly set himself, sending his shot well over the target in the end.
3 min Updates from all of the evening's other Premier League results will be provided throughout, and there is news of an early goal to bring you from the Liberty Stadium. Tottenham, seven points behind the blues at kickoff, trail Swansea just a few minutes in.
1 min KICKOFF! We are officially under way in West London! Hazard looking to pick out Azpilicueta early on with a floated pass, but he puts a little too much on it and the Blues are denied what would have been a dream start.
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