Afternoon folks! Although there's six Premier League games taking place right now, our focus here is on the 5.30 kickoff between Villa and Chelsea. Team news just emerging out of Villa Park...

VILLA XI: Guzan; Bacuna, Vlaar, Baker, Bennett; Westwood, Delph, El Ahmadi; Weimann, Benteke, Agbonlahor

VILLA SUBS: Steer, Sylla, Holt, Clark, Albrighton, Lowton, Robinson

That's one change for Villa, with Joe Bennett replacing Ryan Bertrand, who is ineligible to play against his parent club.

CHELSEA XI: Cech; Ivanovic, Cahill, Terry, Azpilicueta; Ramires, Matic; Willian, Oscar, Hazard; Torres

CHELSEA SUBS: Schwarzer, Kalas, Mikel, Lampard, Schurrle, Salah, Ba

Jose Mourinho makes a couple of Chelsea changes as Brazilian duo Willian and Oscar replace Frank Lampard and Andre Schurrle, who drop to the bench.

Surprising to see no Samuel Eto'o in the Chelsea squad today after his impressive display last weekend against Spurs. Yet to find out why he's not present. It could be an injury or he could be being rested ahead of Tuesday's big Champions League game against Galatasaray.

Chelsea will be glad that Fernando Torres is back fit today as there's no Eto'o in the squad. He talks up Villa on Chelsea's Twitter page: "We know how difficult it is to play here. Villa are a very good team. We are expecting a very tough game today."

The 3pm games are just coming to an end up and down the country. Here are the scores:

Everton 2-1 Cardiff
Fulham 1-0 Newcastle
Southampton 3-2 Norwich
Stoke 3-1 West Ham
Sunderland 0-0 Crystal Palace
Swansea 1-2 West Brom

REFEREE WATCH: The man with the whistle today is Chris Foy. Here he is sending off Eden Hazard at Swansea when he kicked a ball boy. Remember that? As if it's over a year ago now!

With half an hour until kickoff, why not have a look at how the table looks following today's seven games so far. Predominantly, it's the sides at the bottom who have been in action and Villa are now just six points clear of the bottom three.

All that Chelsea have said on their website about the absence of Eto'o is that he isn't in the squad. Nothing more. Demba Ba is the replacement striker on the bench if Torres isn't on fire or gets injured.

Chelsea have won their last four Premier League games against Aston Villa, with the reverse fixture at Stamford Bridge going the Blues' way by two goals to one.

One positive for Villa is that Belgian striker Christian Benteke has scored in his last two appearances against the Blues. Here he is levelling the scores at Stamford Bridge last year:

Will the Villa defence be able to handle Chelsea's Eden Hazard-inspired attack today? This man, the Villa captain, will need to be on top of his game.

PREDICTION TIME! It's so hard to picture anything but a Chelsea win tonight. The Blues haven't lost since the start of December, winning 11 of 14 games since then to move to the summit. I fancy them to win 2-0 today.

Here come the players into the tunnel. Both will be playing in their home colours of claret and light blue and royal blue respectively.

KICKOFF! We're underway at Villa Park, with Chelsea attacking the Holte End in the opening period.

An early stoppage as Willian gets clattered by Vlaar and stays down. Looks like he might be winded.

The Brazilian is fine to continue and has just overhit an attempted through-ball for Torres. Nothing else to speak of in the early stages.

BOOKING! Nasty, nasty scissor tackle from Baker slices down Torres and the Villa man is rightly shown a yellow card.

Neat, quick passing from Chelsea on the left wing before Willian uses Torres's run to cut inside before his shot is deflected into the air, making it an easy save for Guzan.

Villa go straight down the other end and have their brightest moment as Delph is fed down the left wing and dinks to the back post where Benteke lurks. The Belgian gets up early but can only head harmlessly wide at full stretch.

Wicked cross from the right by Oscar that Torres leaps for but it's just too high for the Spaniard. Chelsea's playmaking trio of Oscar, Willian and Hazard have already seen plenty of the ball.

SIDE-NETTING! Another shot from distance by Willian. This time it isn't affected on its way to goal and has Guzan worried before slapping into the side-netting. Villa need to not afford the Brazilian so much space outside the box.

Bad decision from El-Ahmadi, who had plenty of space in the middle of the park but instead of looking for Bacuna steaming down the right, he took on a speculative 30-yard shot which went well over.

JUST WIDE! The Samba boys Willian and Oscar combine in the Villa box, with Oscar curling a first-time effort a yard or so wide of Guzan's far post. Clever effort, but never really looked like it was going in.

Chelsea having plenty of the ball but they're struggling to really penetrate the Villa backline. Vlaar having a good game so far.

"BORING, BORING, BORING, BORIIIIING!" sing the Villa fans as Chelsea continue to leisurely knock the ball about. We're now midway through the opening half and there still hasn't been a shot on target.

BOOKING! Willian becomes the first Chelsea player to be booked for sliding in late on El-Ahmadi. Now 1-1 on the card count.

Villa win the first corner of the game but it comes to nothing as Benteke shoves Cahill in the area when trying to meet Westwood's delivery.

Villa want offside, but Torres is just on and collects the ball on the left of the area. He looks to pick out Willian at the back post but Villa get a boot to it and clear.

Oscar prods a clever ball over the Villa defence with the outside of his boot but Hazard hasn't timed his run and is offside. Villa continue to defend very well. Chelsea have had 63% possession so far, but the shot count is level at four apiece, with not one of the eight efforts on target.

Hazard slips the ball into Torres, who has little option but to shoot from a narrow angle and can only blast well over.

Nice one-two between Torres and Hazard, with the former almost brought down by Vlaar when collecting the return pass. The crowd is getting into it all of a sudden. Great atmosphere at Villa Park right now!

CLOSE! Goodness me, Benteke worries Cech with a acrobatic volley from outside the area that's curling towards the corner but doesn't have enough bend to get inside the post. That would have topped his overhead kick against Norwich recently!

Slick change of direction by Hazard leaves Bacuna for dead but the Belgian's cross is then stopped on its way into the area.

DISALLOWED! It looks like referee Foy has signalled for a Chelsea goal as Matic somehow squeezes the ball home at the back post. However, the assistant on the far side has signalled for a handball by the January signing and it's the right call as it did strike the Serbian's arm before he stabbed home.

Matic back doing what he does best by winning the ball back in the middle of the pitch before releasing Torres. Villa catch up with the Spaniard, who cuts inside before his shot is bravely blocked by a claret shirt.

BOOKING! Ramires beats Bennett to the ball and is upended by the Villa left-back who could be sent off as it looked like Ramires was going to bear down on goal. Foy brandishes a yellow card though and, for me, that's the right call as you can't be sure if Vlaar would have got back. A red card would have been very harsh.

Two minutes have been added on at the end of the first half.

Villa had one last attack just before the half-time whistle, but Benteke couldn't direct his caught-off-guard header anywhere but straight at Cech.

Although it's been a stodgy half of football in terms of chances, it has been an intriguing watch as Villa defend stoutly against Chelsea's patient attack. Basically, it's classic Mourinho as he waits for his sides' quality to eventually shine through. That might not happen though if Villa can maintain their defensive excellence so far. Will they get tired?

Chelsea have unsurprisingly had more of the ball with 63% possession but they've only got one shot on target, the same amount as Villa. Matic's disallowed goal is the only real talking point of the opening 45, and it was correctly chalked off as the ball did strike his right arm before he squeezed it inside the near post.

The two teams have re-emerged for the second half, with no half-time substitutions from either Lambert or Mourinho.

KICKOFF! The visiting Blues get us back underway.

Chelsea straight back on top as Hazard looks to exchange passes with Oscar on the edge of the box but it's all a bit tight and the number 17 is crowded out.

SAVE! Fantastic cross from the right by Ivanovic that somehow makes it through to Hazard at the back post without getting a touch. Haz takes a touch before faking past the first man, crossing for Ramires where it's cut out by a Villa man who diverts it towards his own goal where Guzan claws it away.

Managers Lambert and Mourinho have just been having a light-hearted moment on the touchline. Here are the pair looking on anxiously:

Although they started the second half looking mean, Chelsea have slipped back into their fairly dull, no-risk style of play. Villa continue to defend very well.

Looks like Mourinho will be the first to make changes with Ba and Schurrle poised to come on.

CHANCE! Villa's best chance by a mile as Benteke does a couple of step-overs to beat his man before laying it out to Weimann on the right. The Austrian then returns to his strike partner, who looks for the far corner but curls it just wide.

CHELSEA SUBS: Ba and Schurrle replace Torres and Oscar. Like for like.

BOOKING! Benteke goes into Foy's book for a late tackle on Ramires.

The big-haired Brazilian is booked for a second time for bundling over Delph. It's ever so harsh, but when you bring someone down who is looking to break upfield, a yellow card is usually the outcome. How will that affect the dynamic of the game? Will Villa now be the ones pressing?

What's just happened to Chelsea isn't that dissimilar to what happened to Man City earlier today. They had a player sent off at Hull but still managed to come through and win. Will Mourinho's men be able to do the same? If they don't, then it's in City's hands to go top of the table as they have games in-hand.

VILLA SUB: First change from Lambert as Marc Albrighton replaces Agbonlahor on the wing.

Delph has a shot from outside the area but it's on his weaker right foot and he can't wrap his foot around it. Never had Cech worried.

BOOKING! Vlaar is rightly cautioned for a high tackle on Schurrle that gives Chelsea a free kick just outside the area, right of centre...

VILLA SUB: Before it is taken, Villa make their second change as Ciaran Clark replaces Bennett.

Hazard takes the free kick and takes it badly, shooting low past the upright on Guzan's side of the goal. Just over 10 minutes left at Villa Park. Will there be a winner?

Westwood delivers a terrific free kick into the centre of the box that Cahill has to head over his own crossbar. Momentum with Villa at the moment.

CLOSE! And they almost have the opener as Vlaar gets up well but can only head wide of the post. So close!

It's a FAB finish from Delph as he rolls the ball into Weimann down the left before getting the ball back and somehow flicking the ball into the far corner even though the cutback was behind him. Brilliant, brilliant, brilliant!

What have Chelsea got left in the tank? Remember, they're a man down because of Willian's soft sending off.

Terry boldly ducks under Albrighton's cross and it turns out to be the right call even though Weimann was lurking at the back stick. Chelsea offering very little with just FIVE TO GO.

Looks like Ivanovic has gone up front for the visitors. Get it up to the big man!

SHOT! Villa could get another on the counter-attack, you know, and they almost do as Benteke stings Cech's palms with a vicious drive from 20 yards.

BOOKING! Ramires picks up a retrospective booking after Foy had initially said 'play on' when the initial infringement occurred.

FOUR minutes of added time is signalled by the fourth official.

OFF THE BAR! Delph comes so close to sealing victory as he is played in by Westwood before his shot is unconvicingly saved by Cech and loops up before hitting the crossbar.

The Brazilian is shown a straight red card for a horrible studs-up challenge on El-Ahmadi. I don't think Foy initially saw it, but the reaction of Villa's players alerted him and I think his linesman told him to dismiss the Chelsea midfielder.

It's a massive win for Villa and also a huge boost for Man City, Arsenal and Liverpool in the race for the title! Mourinho was also sent off for protesting at the end. Poor afternoon for the Blues, who remain six points clear but those below have games in-hand.

From @InfostradaLive on Twitter: "Chelsea lose at Aston Villa, meaning that Liverpool are the only remaining undefeated team in the Premier League in 2014."

If you're only just getting in and want a shorter recap of events at Aston Villa then look no further than our instant match report right here.

Anyway, it's time for us to go on this commentary. Keep it SM for plenty of reaction and analysis throughout the night!