A word for the travelling Boro fans, who braved the journey, the nippy conditions and the scoreline on a Monday night.

We salute you. 

It's not that Boro have been bad. It's just Chelsea have been superb. 

The visitors try to deal with Eden Hazard's pace by chopping him down. Fabio the offender receives the game's first booking

Phil McNulty
BBC Sport chief football writer at Stamford Bridge

No mercy from Chelsea here. Middlesbrough being pulverised as Steve Agnew signals frantically at his substitutes to get ready. Poor them.

It's Grant Leadbitter and Patrick Bamford for Adam Forshaw and Adama Traore. Best of luck lads.

Double change for Boro, who could be 12-0 down by now.

Adam Forshaw and Adama Traore come off and Grant Leadbitter and Patrick Bamford come on.

Bamford is formally of the Stamford Bridge parish. He was one of the Blues' many many youth players who spent seasons out on loan. This is the first time he's faced his former club. 

Brad Guzan parries away Gary Cahill's thunderbolt. The Boro keeper needed some quick reactions to that. It was travelling at some speed.   

And then Cesc Fabregas's effort dribbles just past the post. 

Image source, Reuters

How is this not 10-0?

Marcos Alonso has so much space to slide the ball across the box to an incoming Diego Costa, but the Spaniard can't connect from yards out. 

It's Chelsea keep-ball time again.

Victor Moses tries to find Costa in the box but the Boro defence rise high.

Chelsea try again...this time from the left. Cesar Azpilicueta is left in acres of space and tries his luck from distance but it rises over the bar. 

Steve Claridge
Ex-Leicester striker on BBC Radio 5 Live

Middlesbrough need to keep a bit of shape here and make sure Chelsea can't just keep sending that ball over the top of Fabio. 

Image source, Getty Images

Middlesbrough have a free-kick from distance which is sent into the area by Stewart Downing. The offside flag is up against Adam Clayton.

By the way, Marcos Alonso gets to keep his goal. It won't go down as a Brad Guzan OG, which might be a tiny, tiny consolation for Boro? 

*clutches at straws*

Image source, AFP

Nearly number three...

Pedro crashes the ball against the woodwork after lashing it from the edge of the area.

We are back under way in the Cesc Fabregas masterclass.

Oh, wait. I mean Chelsea v Middlesbrough.

Remember, if the result stays this way then Boro's drop back to the Championship is confirmed. 

Match of the Day

Match of the Day on a Monday? What a treat.

Join host Mark Chapman and pundits Mark Schwarzer and Jermaine Jenas for highlights of Chelsea v Middlesbrough.

BBC One, 22:45 BST.

We were asking for footballing lookalikes earlier, because Lionel Messi's doppleganger has been found in Iran.

You've produced some brilliant ones...

The heat maps below show where each team has had possession of the ball.

Look how much ball-time Chelsea (left) have had in that space just outside the area, which is where the passes for the goals came from.

Boro (right), on the other hand, have barely got anywhere near the Blues' box.

Image source, Opta

Steve Claridge
Ex-Leicester striker on BBC Radio 5 Live

They have done OK, Middlesbrough. 

There has been nothing wrong with their performance so far but it's just the quality they are facing... Well done Chelsea, you have been excellent so far.

Middlesbrough are hanging on in but it's a tough ask. 

Image source, PA

One way traffic. 

George Friend tries to make some movement on the left for Boro, but Stewart Downing's ball-in is cleared by captain Cahill once again.

This could be a long evening for the boys in red. 

A minute left to play in the first half. 

Marcos Alonso lines up a dangerous looking free-kick from 25-yards out. 

It's a good effort, which take a hit off George Friend in the Boro wall and goes out for a corner, which comes to nothing.