Barely a cigarette paper between these two teams in the opening 10 minutes. Midfield battle.

Image source, Opta

Boro striker Alvaro Negredo comes deep, very deep. He's inside his own half, in front of his defence.

Anyway, attempting to control the ball, he trips over his own feet.

The ref gives a foul against David Luiz for a foul.

Hah, crazy decision.

Pat Nevin
Ex-Chelsea winger on BBC Radio 5 live

Image source, Reuters

Hazard has been tackled three times now and I have to say two of those were pretty bad fouls. 

He is lucky - that could have been very nasty. 

There's no question he is being targeted and I have to say, that's the deal when you are that kind of player. 

Let's see if the referee is able to give him a little protection... 

Eden Hazard hobbles back on and finds the ball at his feet.

He doesn't really want it as he can barely stand, but manages to get a weak shot off which is straight into the hands of Victor Valdes.

Image source, Reuters

Not what you need when you have Eden Hazard playing against you.

Middlesbrough's tattooed midfielder Adam Clayton is the first man to go into referee Jon Moss's book for a late challenge on the Belgian.

Hazard looks in a lot of pain and limps off to the sideline.

Middlesbrough well on top and fashion an opportunity towards striker Alvaro Negredo, who slices his shot across the six-yard box.

The Spaniard was in a good position but could not connect properly with the ball.

Warning signs for Chelsea early on.

Image source, Reuters

Chelsea have not been able to get their foot on the ball so far, Middlesbrough are looking confident in possession and are knocking it around nicely.

All playing pretty triangles, but they'll need to penetrate a Chelsea defence that has not conceded in their last five games.

Middlesbrough going wide and long in the first few seconds as Antonio Barragan searches for Gaston Ramirez, but the ex-Liverpool man puts a bit too much juice on his pass and it runs out of play.

Are they targeting Victor Moses?

Pat Nevin
Ex-Chelsea winger on BBC Radio 5 live

This is not going to be a walkover for Chelsea by any means. 

It has been pointed out by many football journalists that Middlesbrough have been very organised under Aitor Karanka. 

Alvaro Negredo does a jig around the ball - in excitement about playing football or just warming up? before kicking off.

Under way at the Riverside.

Boro XI: Valdés, Barragán, Chambers, Gibson, Fabio, Traoré, Forshaw, Clayton, de Roon, Ramírez, Negredo.

Chelsea XI: Courtois, Azpilicueta, David Luiz, Cahill, Moses, Kante, Matic, Alonso, Pedro, Diego Costa, Hazard  

Guy Mowbray
Match of the Day commentator

"Can Boro complete a treble of holding the 'big boys' back?

"The most recent of their current three-game unbeaten run saw them draw at Man City, who had just beaten Barcelona, whilst it began by stifling an Arsenal side that had won seven in a row

"Chelsea also have a trip to the Emirates to 'thank' for their five-match winning streak. Their 3-0 defeat there in September was the catalyst for Antonio Conte to switch to his favoured three at the back and it's worked perfectly ever since.

"Can they win the title? Yes.

"Can Boro score their first goal against Chelsea since Mark Viduka's winner 10 years ago? Hmm."

Right, teams have emerged onto the pitch and are going through their pre-match shenanigans of lining up, shaking hands, forming huddles and waving to family in the stands.

Come on, get on with it.

Only Swansea (two) and Sunderland (one) have collected fewer.

Image source, Reuters

Warm ups currently ongoing at the Riverside Stadium, a bitterly cold afternoon in the North East.

Hard man Diego Costa has the right idea though with his woolly hat and gloves. Very snug.

Kevin Kilbane
Former Everton and Sunderland winger and MOTD 2 pundit

Middlesbrough will try and stifle Chelsea. They could have won the game against Arsenal and did it against Manchester City too.

Earlier in the season, they were poor against Watford who sat back and asked them to attack. They could not break them down and it will suit them today. They will sit deep and try to break clear.

Charlie Adam
Stoke City midfielder on MOTD 2 Extra

I think Eden Hazard has been given an arm round the shoulder. Manager Antonio Conte has told him he is the main man. He has been excellent this season and has been given love.

Where would he go if he left? Will he get in the Real Madrid or Barcelona teams? I can't see him anywhere else.

Chelsea

Image source, Getty Images

Chelsea midfielder Eden Hazard told BBC Sport: "We are almost at the top and we want to star there. I hope I can continue my run.

"After the Arsenal defeat, we changed the system and it has been much better.

"Last season, my relationship with Jose Mourinho was always the same. In his career, he won all the time but we were together when at the top and suffered together too.

"I sent him a message to say good luck and hope he wins some games. Not too many though, because we want to be champions.

"I am still young, only 25 but I want to be the best. It is not in my head, I want to enjoy and play. I don't want to be like Lionel Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo, I want to be me."

Not much to tell you about this Chelsea team. Antonio Conte picks the same 11 blokes who thumped Everton before the international break. That's an unchanged starting XI for the fifth straight Premier League game. Why change a winning formula?

Diego Costa and Eden Hazard picked up slight knocks while away with their national teams but are fit to start.

The only change comes on the bench, where Cesc Fabregas returns after a muscle injury.

Chelsea XI: Courtois, Azpilicueta, David Luiz, Cahill, Moses, Kante, Matic, Alonso, Pedro, Diego Costa, Hazard  

Image source, #bbcfootball