Postpublished at 16:22 Greenwich Mean Time 5 March 2016
I wonder if Opta do stats on Chelsea's tallest midfields.
Summary
Chelsea XI: Courtois, Azpilicueta, Ivanovic, Cahill, Baba, Matic, Mikel, Willian, Oscar, Hazard, Traore.
Stoke XI: Butland, Cameron, Wollscheid, Muniesa, Pieters, Whelan, Imbula, Shaqiri, Afellay, Arnautovic, Diouf.
Postpublished at 16:22 Greenwich Mean Time 5 March 2016
Postpublished at 16:20 Greenwich Mean Time 5 March 2016
Nigel Johnson
Stoke City Commentator, BBC Radio StokeQuote MessageThe increase of pace of Xherdan Shaqiri unlocked the Chelsea defence. He moved up a gear, got to the left of the D, drilled his drive to Courtois' left, and credit to the goalkeeper.
SUBSTITUTIONpublished at 64 mins
Eden Hazard comes off for Chelsea - maybe with the Champions League game against Paris St-Germain in mind. England Under-21 midfielder Ruben Loftus-Cheek - who signed a new five-year deal this week - replaces him.
Postpublished at 63 mins
Gary Cahill gets into the box, does a step over, turns around and fires a shot at Jack Butland. Probably the most skill we've seen from the centre-back since he scored a bicycle kick many years ago.
Postpublished at 60 mins
A brilliant save from Thibaut Courtois keeps Chelsea level. Xherdan Shaqiri gets the ball 20 yards from goal and bursts into life, he runs across the box and his effort which is back across goal is tipped wide by the Chelsea keeper.
And now Stoke keeper Jack Butland denies Willian at the other end.
Postpublished at 57 mins
A bit of a lull in the game at the moment, not much has happened to report. Marko Arnautovic turns Cesar Azpilicueta but Gary Cahill gets across to get the ball off the big man.
YELLOW CARDpublished at 54 mins
Stoke defender Erik Pieters gets himself a one-way ticket to book-town with a late sliding tackle on Oscar.
Postpublished at 51 mins
Willian plays it to Eden Hazard, who turns one way and the other to lose his marker but then his powerful effort is across goal and out for a goal-kick.
Postpublished at 49 mins
Stoke forward Marko Arnautovic has a go from 25 yards which is punched away by Thibaut Courtois (despite being straight at him) and Geoff Cameron heads over the rebound. Decent start to the second half from Stoke.
Postpublished at 46 mins
Stoke midfielder Giannelli Imbula goes on a surging run but his ball over the top to Mame Biram Diouf is over-hit.
Image source, APKICK-OFFpublished at 16:02 Greenwich Mean Time 5 March 2016
The second half has begun.
Postpublished at 16:01 Greenwich Mean Time 5 March 2016
Postpublished at 16:00 Greenwich Mean Time 5 March 2016
Players are coming back out onto the pitch. We're almost ready to go.
get involved Get Involvedpublished at 15:48 Greenwich Mean Time 5 March 2016
#bbcfootball
Chiemezie Onwubalili: Traore, a new striker is born.What a goal.
LIMP: Why Diouf is starting ahead of Joselu I have no idea
Donald: Great to see academy players appearing on the EPL score sheets. The future is indeed great. Good one by Bertrand Traore.
A goal all of his own makingpublished at 15:48 Greenwich Mean Time 5 March 2016
Chelsea 1-0 Stoke
Image source, OptaThere didn't look to be much on when Bertrand Traore received the ball from Nemanja Matic, but he caught the Stoke defence unaware with his snapshot.
HALF-TIME - Chelsea 1-0 Stokepublished at 15:47 Greenwich Mean Time 5 March 2016
Ready to get giddy, Chelsea fans? As things stand you're seventh in the Premier League table. It's half-time.
INJURY TIMEpublished at 45 mins
And now two more minutes of stoppage time.
YELLOW CARDpublished at 45 mins
Oscar comes in with a poorly timed sliding tackle on Stoke midfielder Giannelli Imbula and goes into the book. Seconds until the break.
Postpublished at 15:42 Greenwich Mean Time 5 March 2016
Image source, Getty ImagesPostpublished at 42 mins
Willian gets the ball in what I'll now call Bertrand Traore territory but his shot is well wide. Stoke on the rocks a bit here.