Good evening! Thank you very much for joining Sports Mole for tonight's midweek fixture between Chelsea and Everton at Stamford Bridge. Neither side has been at their best in recent weeks but both come into this one off the back of encouraging results at the weekend. The reverse between these two sides back in August provided a feast of goals, drama and entertainment, so hopefully we will see more of the same tonight! Let's start with a look at the hosts.

Chelsea were undoubtedly the standout performers during the first half of the season, but they slipped a little in terms of performance over the last month or so despite regaining a convincing lead over Manchester City at the top of the table. Having let one big lead slip in December, Jose Mourinho's side have failed to reach their own high standards so far in 2015 with the exception of their magnificent performance in the 5-0 victory over Swansea City.

Their last five matches in particular have been unconvincing. They were fortunate to come away with a draw against Liverpool in the first leg of their League Cup semi-final before edging the second leg in extra time at Stamford Bridge. Sandwiched in between those two ties was the infamous loss to Bradford City in the FA Cup, in which they let a two-goal lead slip to lose 4-2 against their League One opposition - quite possibly the biggest upset in the competition's long history. Their recent top-of-the-table clash with Manchester City saw them play for a home point against the champions, while they only narrowly scraped past a struggling Aston Villa side at the weekend.

There is no doubt that that is a far cry from the all-conquering performances that they were churning out earlier in the campaign, when some were even tipping them for an unbeaten season. However, Mourinho has an uncanny knack of getting results even when his side aren't playing too well and, the simple fact is, that with the exception of the Bradford defeat, the other results have been good ones despite their performances. A draw against City was all that was needed to retain their lead, particularly while missing some key players, while the wins over Liverpool and Aston Villa were all that were required.

As a result, Chelsea have opened up a seven-point gap at the top of the table and, while they have already blown an even bigger lead once this season, it is hard to see them slipping up that much to allow Manchester City back into the title race again. They have only lost two league games all season and are the one team in the league that you would probably say are most adept at grinding out results in matches, so for the champions to overturn another big deficit is a hefty ask.

Crucially for Chelsea, they have managed thus far to deal with the absence of some key players, which shouldn't be forgotten during the recent minor slump that they find themselves in. Costa serves the last of his three-match ban this evening, while Cesc Fabregas is back on the bench and should be fit to start again by the time Chelsea play Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League next Tuesday. Not many teams could lose a duo of that importance and still get a point from Manchester City.

As usual under Mourinho, Chelsea's main strengths this season have come at Stamford Bridge, and they will be glad to be back in front of their own fans this evening. The recent 1-1 draw with Man City brought an end to their 100% home league record in the current campaign, but even that was a better point for them than it was for the visitors. They still comfortably have the best home record in the top flight and have only conceded four goals at Stamford Bridge in the league this season.

Indeed, the record gets even more impressive when you look further back, with Chelsea having won 32 and lost just one of their last 39 Premier League matches at Stamford Bridge. They have kept 15 clean sheets in their last 19 league games at home, conceding a measly six goals in that time. Their defence was breached by the league's lowest scorers, Aston Villa, at the weekend, but at Stamford Bridge it seems to be a different story entirely...unless you're Bradford City.

That poses a formidable test for Everton this evening, then, but the Toffees have shown signs of improvement in recent weeks even if results still aren't quite what Roberto Martinez would want them to be. His side are now unbeaten in their last six games, excluding penalties, but no fewer than five of those have ended as a draw. They have, however, taken points of both Manchester City and Liverpool in that time, which could give them belief for tonight.

Overall, though, it has been a desperately disappointing season for Everton so far. They came close to grabbing a Champions League spot in their first season under Martinez but have really struggled to replicate those performances this time around and, with just 14 matches left, are still six points off the top half and 18 away from the top four. Indeed, results yesterday mean that only five points now separate them from the bottom three.

It would be a major surprise if Everton were to be dragged into the relegation battle this season, but they do need to start turning some of their draws into victories. They have only won six times all season in the league, drawing nine and losing nine - a terrible record considering how few games they lost last season. A European challenge is surely already beyond them this season, but Martinez will want to see improvement from his side in that respect between now and the end of the season.

Their record in all competitions now stands at just one win in their last 10 games, which includes five defeats if you count West Ham United's penalty shootout victory in the FA Cup. In the league they have only won one of their last eight, although that solitary win was a decent one away to a Crystal Palace side in good form under Alan Pardew. Stretching even further back, Everton have only won two of their last 12 in the league and haven't beaten a team currently above them in the table since November.

As I mentioned earlier, though, there have been signs of improvement in recent weeks. They are unbeaten in their last four league games since the New Year's Day defeat to Hull City, although three of those have ended all square. Perhaps even more importantly for Martinez, however, his side have kept three consecutive clean sheets coming into this match, which is evidence of their previously leaky defence starting to show the same sort of form that served them so well last season. Tonight they are bidding for a fourth league clean sheet in a row for the first time since February-March 2009.

The most recent of those clean sheets came against Liverpool at the weekend in what was a fairly forgettable Merseyside derby between the two great rivals. Everton never really got going in the match and created their one and only clear chance with 87 minutes on the clock, when Coleman was thwarted by Mignolet. The Toffees were second best for long spells of the game and survived a thunderbolt from Jordon Ibe that rattled the post, but they managed to hold out for the point.

They are back on the road tonight, though, and their away form has left a lot to be desired this season. They have lost six of their last seven on the road in all competitions, including the defeat to West Ham on penalties, while five of their last six Premier League away games have ended in defeat. They did win their most recent one, however, with the 1-0 victory over Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park ending their poor form on the road.

TEAM NEWS: The teams are in for both sides and the headline news is that Juan Cuadrado makes his full debut for Chelsea, replacing Oscar in the side. Zouma replaces Cahill in one of three other changes, with Remy starting in place of Drogba and Cech coming in for Courtois. Everton, meanwhile, welcome Tim Howard back in goal after a calf injury, but Baines is still sidelined. There is also a full debut for Aaron Lennon in place of Mirallas, while Barkley replaces McCarthy. Full teams for both sides coming up...

CHELSEA STARTING XI: Cech; Ivanovic, Zouma, Terry, Azpilicueta; Ramires, Matic; Cuadrado, Willian, Hazard; Remy

CHELSEA SUBS: Courtois, Cahill, Ake, Filipe Luis, Fabregas, Loftus-Cheek, Drogba

EVERTON STARTING XI: Howard; Coleman, Stones, Jagielka, Oviedo; Besic, Barry, Lennon, Naismith, Barkley; Lukaku

EVERTON SUBS: Joel, Gibson, Kone, Mirallas, McCarthy, Garbutt, Alcaraz

What can we make of those two sides, then? Well, interestingly Mourinho has opted to bring Petr Cech back in between the sticks, with Courtois dropping to the bench following a couple of under-par performances in the last few weeks. The Belgian has been hugely impressive since winning the number one spot from Cech, but he was not entirely convincing against either Manchester City or Aston Villa, which is perhaps Mourinho's reason for dropping him. Cech certainly isn't a bad replacement to be able to call upon!

At the back, Zouma returns to the starting lineup, with Cahill once again dropping to the bench. Zouma has impressed during his time in the starting lineup this season and appears to be usurping Cahill as Terry's regular partner in central defence. He will be flanked by Azpilicueta and Ivanovic once more tonight, the latter of whom scored the winning goal against Aston Villa and was subsequently dubbed by Mourinho as one of the club's greatest ever signings.

Another successful signing for Chelsea has been Fabregas this season, but Mourinho has resisted the urge to throw him straight back into the starting lineup following a couple of games out with a hamstring injury. Instead, Ramires continues alongside Matic in midfield having impressed in Fabregas's absence so far. Further forward, the familiar duo of Willian and Hazard continue behind the striker, with both in fine form, and they have a new man to link up with now...

Juan Cuadrado makes his first start for the club following his January arrival, replacing Oscar in the side, which could mean a more central role than usual for Willian, or perhaps even Hazard. Cuadrado may be forced to do a little more defending than he would like against the Everton full-backs, who love to bomb forward, but there is no doubt that he is a threat going forward. In front of him with be Loic Remy, who gets the nod ahead of Drogba as Costa serves out the final match of his ban.

Like Mourinho, Martinez has made a change in goal for tonight's match, bringing Tim Howard back into the fold following his recovery from a calf injury. It is an interesting decision as, while Howard is undoubtedly the first choice for Everton, Joel Robles has kept three consecutive clean sheets and may feel unfortunate to have lost his place in the XI at the first available opportunity.

Everton will be hoping that their defence stands up a little firmer to the Chelsea attack than they did in the reverse fixture, but Stones and Jagielka in particular have started to find their best form over the past couple of weeks. The absence of Baines is a big blow as he misses the second game in a row due to a knee injury, but the good news for Everton is that Besic has overcome a late fitness test to feature.

Everton have a full debutant of their own in the form of Aaron Lennon, who made a cameo appearance off the bench in the Merseyside derby without really having a great impact on the game. He replaces Mirallas in the side, while Barkley also comes into the starting XI having made a difference in his own substitute appearance against Liverpool. Naismith, meanwhile, has scored three goals in his last four appearances against Chelsea, while Lukaku is making his first return to Stamford Bridge since leaving for good in the summer.

PREDICTION: We're 10 minutes from kickoff at Stamford Bridge, which means that it is time for a prediction! If this match is anything like the reverse fixture then we really are in for a treat tonight, but unfortunately I can't see anywhere near the nine goals we had back in August. This one looks like a comfortable home win for me, with Chelsea looking simply for the three points and Everton unable to match the leaders. I'm going to go for a 2-0 victory for the hosts.

Can Chelsea keep the seven-point gap between them and Manchester City, or perhaps extend it? Find out what the Sports Mole sofa had to say about this match in our video preview below:

Everton's record here at Stamford Bridge is not a good one, it must be said. They have not won on any of their last 19 Premier League visits to Chelsea, losing 10 of those and drawing nine. Their last victory in the league here came way back in 1994, when Paul Rideout scored the only goal of the game for the Toffees.

The corresponding fixture last season finished 1-0 to Chelsea, although they needed a John Terry goal deep in stoppage time to rescue the points on that occasion. I have already mentioned this season's reverse fixture at Goodison Park a few times, but it really was one of the most remarkable matches the Premier League has seen in a long time. Chelsea were 2-0 up inside three minutes and went on to lead 3-1, 3-2, 4-2, 4-3 before finally sealing the win 6-3. There was a spell during the match that saw five goals go in in the space of 10 minutes.

There are five other Premier League fixture taking place tonight, and I will keep you up to date with the major events in each one of them. I will keep a particular eye on events at the Britannia Stadium, where Manchester City face a difficult test against Stoke as they look to avoid slipping even further behind Chelsea in the title race.

KICKOFF: Everton get us underway under the floodlights at Stamford Bridge as they look to spring a shock against the league leaders.

SHOT! Absolutely brilliant work from Matic in midfield as he beats two men and, despite being fouled by both, battles on and carries the ball to within shooting range. His eventual effort flies over the bar, but it was really good play from the midfielder and would have been one of the solo goals of the season had it flown in.

Another shooting chance for the hosts as the ball is lifted up to the back post for Ivanovic, who nods it down to Cuadrado. The winger unleashes a snapshot but sees his effort well blocked.

YELLOW CARD! A very early yellow card, and what is becoming a customary one for Besic. He trips Hazard and can have no complaints at being cautioned.

CLOSE! Almost a beauty of an opening goal for Chelsea. Willian picks the ball up just outside the box and dips his shoulder to come inside onto his right foot. He curls a fine effort towards the far top corner, but it flies just a yard or so over the bar.

UPDATE: There has been an early goal at Old Trafford, where Manchester United have taken the lead against Burnley courtesy of a Chris Smalling strike.

CHANCE! Everton's first chance of the match falls to former Chelsea man Lukaku, but Cech just about makes the stop. The visitors launch a quick break, with Lennon finding Barkley, who in turn slid a pass down the right channel for Lukaku. Cech guesses that the striker will shoot across him but he instead goes for the near post, and Cech sticks out a leg to save it.

SHOT! Another shooting chance for Everton, and this time it falls to Barry. He lets fly from range but drills an effort a few yards wide.

CHANCE! Another decent opening for the hosts as Remy and Cuadrado link up down the right flank. The latter picks the ball up in the box and looks for the bottom corner from a tight angle, but his shot goes a yard or so past the post.

It has been quite an open game so far, as you could probably guess from the amount of chances and shooting opportunities we have had already. Chelsea are bossing possession and have had the better of things, but Everton have looked dangerous on the break a couple of times.

SAVE! Howard is called into action here as Chelsea once again threaten. They come down the left this time and Remy gets in front of his man to win the header, but Howard sticks out a hand and makes a decent stop.

YELLOW CARD! We're only 15 minutes in, but already we have our second yellow card as Azpilicueta goes into the book for a foul on Lennon.

Lovely break from Hazard, who wins the ball on the halfway line and runs at the defence. He cuts back onto his right foot, leaving his marker on the floor, before playing a square pass for Remy. However, Everton have enough bodies back to deal with the danger.

Hazard is inches away from surely giving Chelsea the lead! Azpilicueta floats a lovely ball into the middle and Hazard is a toe away from flicking it past Howard from close range. He just can't reach it, however, and the ball runs through to the Everton keeper.

Another quick break from Chelsea, and not for the first time tonight Cuadrado is involved. He carries the ball forward before slipping a pass in to Remy, who goes for goal with the angle against him. Rather like Cuadrado's effort earlier, though, it goes a few yards past the far post.

UPDATE: There is finally time to update you on an equaliser at Old Trafford, with Burnley having made it 1-1 against Manchester United courtesy of a Danny Ings strike.

YELLOW CARD! A third yellow card of the first half is shown to Barry for a foul on Cuadrado. That is his 10th booking of the season, which means that he must now serve a two-game ban.

Chelsea work the ball well from a free kick as Ivanovic flicks the ball on for Matic, who hooks it back into a dangerous area. It is only cleared as far as Ivanovic, who blazes his shot from close range over the top. However, it wouldn't have counted anyway as the flag was up against Matic.

SAVE! Positive play from Lukaku as he picks the ball up on the right and cuts inside onto his favoured left foot. He gets a shot away from the edge of the box, but it is relatively easy for Cech to gather.

Clever link-up play from Cuadrado and Remy in midfield and the former advances to the edge of the box before being caught in two minds. He ends up just running into Stones, and Jonathan Moss is right to wave away the hosts' claims for a free kick.

Everton are on the back foot again here as Chelsea break once more. Remy has Hazard in space on the left but delays his pass, allowing Everton to get men back behind the ball. Hazard still holds it up, but Ivanovic and Cuadrado then both see shots blocked.

SAVE! Hazard is running the show here and he threatens again. His powerful drilled effort from 20 yards is spilled by Howard as it skims across the floor, but the Everton keeper just manages to hook it back into his arms with his foot when Remy was lurking dangerously.

UPDATE: News from the Britannia that will concern Chelsea - Manchester City have taken the lead against Stoke through Sergio Aguero. That means that the gap is currently five points as it stands, but right now it appears to be a matter of when rather than if Chelsea will score here.

Hazard leaps high at the back post to keep a cross alive before collecting possession back on the floor. He turns quickly and creates a yard to shoot from the edge of the box, but can only curl his effort a long way over the top.

UPDATE: Stoke have equalised against Manchester City! Peter Crouch has got the goal for the Potters there, which means that Chelsea's lead, as it stands, is back up to seven points.

Really good work from Willian as he carries the ball from deep inside his own half, shrugging off a spirited challenge from Lennon. The Brazilian is about to take on Coleman as well, but the referee pulls play back for a foul on Lennon when Willian had the ball at all times. Strange decision.

If Everton can hold on until half time here then they will be very happy. The Toffees have come back into the game a bit in the last five minutes or so, but they have been comfortably second best in this match so far.

Terry, as ever, proves to be a threat in the opposition box as he attacks Willian's corner really well. He beats Naismith in the air but can't keep his header down.

There will be one minute of added time at the end of this first half.

The first half comes to an end at Stamford Bridge and we are still goalless between Chelsea and Everton. There has been no shortage of action, however, and Chelsea in particular will be wondering how they are not ahead having dominated for long spells in the opening 45 minutes. Everton hung on in there, however, and are still very much in this game.

Despite Chelsea having the better of things so far, it is Everton who have come closest to opening the scoring. Barkley slid a ball through for Lukaku, who found himself with a clear shot on goal. He drilled his effort towards the near post and, having anticipated a shot across his body, Cech had to readjust quickly. The keeper got away with it to an extent, sticking out a leg to deny the former Chelsea man.

Chelsea have created far more shooting opportunities than the visitors, however, and perhaps the closest they have come saw Willian whip an effort goalwards. It was a really good shot from the Brazilian winger after he had cut in from the left flank before bending one towards the far top corner that flew just a yard or so over the bar.

Howard has, on the whole, been fairly well protected so far, though. The returning keeper was forced into one good save as Remy attacked a deflected cross in the box, planting a firm header towards goal. Howard got a strong hand to the effort, however, and pushed the ball away to safety.

Aside from that, Cuadrado and Hazard have both threatened for Chelsea, and they have arguably been the hosts' best two players. Cuadrado is enjoying a bright full debut for the club, but it is Hazard who has run the show so far. He has looked dangerous every time he has got on the ball and it would be a surprise if he wasn't to make a difference in the second half.

As for Everton, they have been forced to defend very deep at times but it has served them well so far. They have been able to do very little about stopping Chelsea from dominating possession but, considering how much of the ball the hosts have seen, Everton have done well to keep this at 0-0. If it remains this way at full time then it would be a superb point for Roberto Martinez.

UPDATE: A couple of updates from elsewhere to bring you as Manchester United regained the lead just before half time against Burnley, with Smalling getting his second of the night to make it 2-1. Newcastle, meanwhile, now lead Crystal Palace courtesy of a Papiss Cisse strike.

KICKOFF: Chelsea get us back underway at Stamford Bridge and there is news of a sub to bring you. James McCarthy has been brought on for Everton to replace Besic in the centre of midfield.

There is the sense that Chelsea still have a few gears to go through here. They aren't playing with too much urgency right now, which gives a feeling of confidence that, sooner or later, they know they will find the breakthrough.

Still the Everton defence continues to be stubborn. They are getting plenty of players in and around the area whenever Chelsea come forward and, for all of their creative talents, the hosts are struggling to find a way through right now.

Jagielka strides forward from defence but then gives the ball away, giving Chelsea the chance to break. However, the attempted pass out to Hazard is too heavy and the opening goes begging.

Everton have certainly improved in the first 10 minutes of this second half. They are still being forced into doing a lot of defending, but they seem more comfortable at the moment and have seen more of the ball as well.

SAVE! Howard has another save to make, but this one is a routine stop for the keeper. Matic floats a cross towards Ivanovic, who flicks his header towards goal from just inside the box. It is a long way out, but he gets enough power on it to force the save.

UPDATE: James Milner has cropped up with some important goals recently and he has got another at the Britannia Stadium, restoring Manchester City's lead over Stoke City. The champions now lead 2-1 there.

YELLOW CARD! Jonathan Moss goes to his pocket for the first time in this second half, showing a yellow card to Coleman for a cynical trip on Hazard. No complaints with that one.

More dangerous play from Chelsea, and there are no prizes for guessing who is at the centre of it. Hazard lines his marker up on the left channel and works a yard before drilling a ball right across the face of goal. There are no blue shirts there to tap it home, though.

SAVE! Hazard pops up on the right flank this time and again beats his full-back before drilling a shot towards the near post. Howard has his angles right and makes the save, but it was yet more dangerous play from Hazard. He looks a class apart from anyone else on the field right now.

SAVE! Willian wins a free kick in a very good position and it is Matic who lines it up. The effort is a good one from the defensive midfielder as he curls it over the wall and on target, but Howard gets across quickly to turn it behind for a corner.

Time is beginning to run out a little for Chelsea now, and the urgency in their game is beginning to creep up as the minutes tick by. They have dominated large portions of this game and would be gutted to drop points in such a match.

SAVE! This is probably Howard's best save of the match so far as he denies a curling effort from Willian. Hazard was again involved as he fed the ball out to the Brazilian, whose shot was heading right for the bottom corner. However, Howard got down to make the save and, crucially, flick it away from danger.

WHAT A SAVE! Oh my word, Everton have a glorious chance to do the smash and grab here! Oviedo drills a really good ball across the six-yard box and Lukaku is there to turn it in from close range. It looks for all the world as if we have the opening goal, but Cech somehow makes the stop with his leg. Incredible save.

CHELSEA SUBS: A couple of changes for Chelsea as first Didier Drogba replaces Remy and then Cesc Fabregas makes his return from injury in place of Cuadrado.

UPDATE: Manchester City have doubled their advantage against Stoke, with Aguero getting his second of the game, this time from the penalty spot, to make it 3-1. West Ham have had goalkeeper Adrian sent off away to Southampton, meanwhile, but it remains goalless at St Mary's.

EVERTON SUBS: The visitors also make a double change as Darron Gibson and Kevin Mirallas come on in place of Barkley and Lennon.

UPDATE: A big goal for West Brom at The Hawthorns as they take the lead against Swansea through Brown Ideye, while Manchester City have made it 4-1 away to Stoke courtesy of a Samir Nasri strike.

A hint of an opening for Chelsea as Gibson meets a cross on the edge of the box, trying to loop an ambitious header over Cech and into the far corner. However, it was always going to be a big ask to beat Cech with a header from there and, sure enough, the keeper makes a comfortable stop.

SHOT! Everton are just starting to show a big more attacking intent here. Lukaku does really well to beat a couple of blue shirts before laying the ball off for Mirallas. The sub ignores the overlapping run of Coleman and goes for goal, only to blaze his shot over the top.

Chelsea have less than 10 minutes remaining to find a winner here and, having looked comfortable for the vast majority of the game, things may be beginning to get a little nervy for the hosts right now. They just can't find a way through this Everton rearguard action.

Willian does well to hold off the challenge of Lukaku before McCarthy comes steaming in to give away a free kick in a dangerous crossing position. Can they make anything of this?

Willian whips a good ball into the middle, but Howard makes a flying punch to relieve the danger. The American has had a good game on his return from injury tonight.

DISALLOWED GOAL! Chelsea think they have their winner, but the linesman's flag is up! Matic steers an effort towards the far corner from 25 yards and it takes a deflection on the way through before skimming Ivanovic on its way in. The slight touch of Ivanovic was crucial there as he was in an offside position, which is why the flag was raised. That is a very, very good decision from the assistant.

Barry is shown a second yellow card for a trip on Willian in midfield, and a melee ensues in the immediate aftermath of the foul. That ultimately sees Ivanovic and McCarthy also booked.

Big late drama here! From the free kick that drew the red card the ball is hoisted into the box. Howard comes out to punch it as far as Willian, who fires a low volley towards the bottom corner. His strike takes a crucial deflection off Naismith on the way through, which takes it past Howard. Surely that is the winning goal!

There will be four minutes of added time at the end of this match. Time for even more late drama?

CHELSEA SUB: A late change for the hosts and Willian gets a standing ovation as he makes way to be replaced by Gary Cahill.

Chelsea are happy to see this one out now, taking it into the corner whenever possible. This is cruel on Everton, who have defended well tonight but look like getting nothing from it.

Jonathan Moss brings an end to proceedings at Stamford Bridge and, while we had eight fewer goals than the reverse fixture, there was once again no shortage of drama tonight, Willian got the winner in the 89th minute after Gareth Barry had been sent off as Chelsea rescued the three points.

Right, that is all we have time for this evening! Thank you very much for joining Sports Mole for what was a dramatic evening at Stamford Bridge as Chelsea leave it late to beat Everton. I will leave you with our match report, and be sure to stick around for reaction, analysis and player ratings. From me, though, it is goodbye for now!