Manchester City have moved back up to third place in the Premier League thanks to a 3-0 victory over Chelsea at Stamford Bridge.
Sergio Aguero scored all three goals for a Citizens side who have now won three on the bounce, including one from the penalty spot after Thibaut Courtois was sent off.
Chelsea's best chance came inside the opening few minutes when Pedro saw his shot cleared off the line by Nicolas Otamendi - a pivotal moment early on which the Blues would live to rue.
Relive how the 90 minutes of action unfolded with Sports Mole's live text coverage below.
Hello and welcome to Sports Mole's live text coverage of the Premier League meeting between Chelsea and Manchester City at Stamford Bridge. The Citizens head into this match on the back of a real high, having secured their passage into the final four of the Champions League in midweek by seeing off Paris Saint-Germain.
Manuel Pellegrini's men still have outside hopes of winning the English title, too, although they must make up a 15-point gap on leaders Leicester City with just a single game in hand to play on their unlikely rivals. Chelsea are marooned in mid-table, meanwhile, with their 15-match unbeaten run under interim boss Guus Hiddink coming to a halt last week at the hands of Swansea City.
So there may not be a whole lot riding on this game on the face of it, but for City especially this provides a great chance to keep momentum going riding into that key semi-final showdown with Real Madrid later this month. The Citizens, who have already pocketed the League Cup, can be happy with their progress this season even if their league form has been shaky to say the least.
There have certainly been signs of improvement on that front in recent weeks, with back-to-back wins being claimed away at Bournemouth and home to West Bromwich Albion last time out. Incredibly, not since October had the two-time Prem champs claimed successive wins, so maybe there is a little hope of winning the title after all. As unlikely as it seems, City still have six games remaining to close the gap on a Leicester side that surely – surely! - have a blip in them somewhere down the line.
Realistically speaking, though, Pellegrini's charges are left battling for a top-four spot between now and the season's end. That win over the Baggies last week, when battling from a goal behind fairly early on, coupled with defeat for fifth-placed Manchester United at Tottenham Hotspur the following day, has left the Citizens well in control of their own fate at this late stage of the campaign. Fourth place is very much theirs to lose.
Going further back, City have not won three-in-a-row since last August, when they kicked off their campaign in some style with five wins in succession. Back then it appeared as though the Citizens were the team to beat in the top flight, but it has not quite turned out that way in this real season to remember. One defeat in seven in all competitions of late, coming at the hands of rivals United, has certainly helped to steady the ship in Pellegrini's final farewell.
That loss to United, a week on from a goalless draw away at strugglers Norwich City, really was the nadir for City's season and left them seriously looking over their shoulders. Since then an impressive showing at Bournemouth, in which all four goals were scored in the opening quarter of the match, and a 2-1 comeback win over West Brom has seemingly paved the way for a more comfortable finish.
City have also lost just one of their last seven Premier League away matches, conceding two in five overall after previously shipping eight goals in three games. Pellegrini insisted on the eve of this clash that he was not prioritising one competition over another, however, despite what would be an incredible Champions League success now being right on the horizon. What a way to bow out that would be.
In terms of the Citizens' remaining league fixtures, they head to Newcastle in midweek for a match that will likely have massive implications at both ends of the table, before facing Stoke (h), Southampton (a), Arsenal (h) and Swansea (a) - a mixed bag of fixtures that will likely take second billing behind potentially three more European fixtures to come. City can be forgiven for taking their eye off the ball over the coming weeks with attention now elsewhere.
It looked like Manuel Pellegrini 's Manchester City farewell would end on a sour note, with the Citizens' form taking a turn for the worse when announcing his end-of-season departure from the club. Victory over Paris Saint-Germain in Europe, though, sealing a last-four berth in the Champions League, coupled with successive wins in the Premier League, leaves City in a far better position now compared to a month ago.
Chelsea have less to play for over the final weeks of the season, meanwhile, as their hopes of retaining the Premier League crown which they won so easily last season came to an end a long time ago. The Blues find themselves a whopping 28 points off surprise leaders Leicester, while the margin on fifth-placed Manchester United is currently at nine points – surely too much to make up with just a handful of games remaining.
The West London outfit had actually gone 15 games without defeat up until last weekend's disappointing loss at Swansea City, though the good news is that Guus Hiddink has not lost two club games in succession since managing PSV Eindhoven in February 2004 – 12 years ago! Chelsea have also never lost a home game during the Dutchman's two spells in charge of the club, winning six and drawing seven of their outings.
But therein lies the problem – too many draws. Not that it matters too much now, of course, with Chelsea merely jostling for position in the top half of the table over these final weeks. Hiddink has certainly steadied the ship – in the Premier League, at least – taking the Blues away from shock talk of a relegation battle into mid-table mediocrity. It is certainly not where the reigning champions want to be right now but, with Antonio Conte's imminent arrival, there is still plenty to be excited about.
Hiddink will be hugely disappointed not to have made more of an impact away from the Premier League this season, though, having seen his side exit the Champions League in the quarter-finals and also depart the FA Cup at the same stage at the hands of Everton last month. Silverware would have made up for what has been a hugely disappointing domestic league campaign, but it was not to be for the Dutchman in his second spell in these parts.
Chelsea have actually won just one of their last six games in all competitions, coming against Aston Villa in a 4-0 victory earlier this month, which just goes to highlight the feeling that the season's end cannot come soon enough really. With games against Bournemouth (a), Spurs (h), Sunderland (a), Liverpool (a) and Leicester (h) still to come, the Blues will still have a big part to play in events at both ends of the table.
DID YOU KNOW? Chelsea have gone nine home league games without a clean sheet – their longest such run in the Premier League era. The Blues last went 10-in-a-row in the top flight between April and November 1970, so they will be desperate to keep a rare shutout at Stamford Bridge this evening to avoid matching an unwanted defensive record.
Stamford Bridge has been far from a fortress this term, with Chelsea drawing six of their last seven league games here and shipping a goal in each of the last nine. Guus Hiddink will be happy enough with his work since taking charge of the club in December, but he will surely be kicking himself not to have progressed further in both the FA Cup and Champions League.
PREVIOUS MEETINGS! Chelsea have won 11 and drawn five of the last 17 meetings between these two sides at Stamford Bridge, losing just one. The Blues won 5-1 here in February's FA Cup meeting, in a game best remembered for Manuel Pellegrini's decision to field a weakened team in protest at the scheduling of the match on the eve of a vital Champions League tie. City did win 3-0 in the last league fixture, however, seeing off their rivals in an emphatic manner in the opening month of the campaign.
With kickoff now a little over 20 minutes away, let us check out some of the pre-match thoughts from both camps heading into this Premier League showdown in West London.
Guus Hiddink: "City have had a beautiful week after getting in to the semi-finals. It's good for them to be in the last four and it's a reward for their efforts over the last seasons. Their team is getting into a certain flow of success and results so they'll like to continue it. It's encouraging for them and for us it is another reason why we expect very strong opposition."
Manuel Pellegrini: "We now have three games of the Premier League before we continue in the Champions League. The important thing is it depends on us what we do to be in the third or fourth position. We cannot talk more about the other two positions because that doesn't just depend on what we do. I am not going to prioritise any competition. We don't need to prioritise because we are going to play these three games before we return to the Champions League."
You cannot blame Pellegrini for claiming that the Champions League does not necessarily take priority over the Premier League, but privately speaking he will surely think otherwise. The top-flight crown is surely out of grasp now, despite a decent run of form in recent weeks, whereas the European Cup is now within touching distance. City must navigate past these next three league fixtures before switching attention to a crucial match against Real Madrid.
Right, hopefully that has whet the appetite a little more ahead of kickoff. Now seems like a good time to check out some confirmed team news from Stamford Bridge, starting with the hosts.
CHELSEA TEAM NEWS!
STARTING XI: Courtois; Azpilicueta, Cahill, Ivanovic, Baba Rahman; Mikel, Fabregas; Willian, Loftus-Cheek, Pedro; Diego Costa
SUBS: Begovic, Miazga, Matic, Kenedy, Traore, Pato, Falcao
Chelsea welcome Diego Costa back from his three-match suspension, with the Spaniard sporting a fresh new look this evening. Gary Cahill is also back among the starters after recovering from injury, replacing Matt Miazga who drops back down to the bench after being given a taste of first-team football recently. Willian is also included for this one, despite being a real doubt.
This match comes too soon for Eden Hazard and Loic Remy, though, who both miss out through injury. Hiddink has gone with a 4-2-3-1 formation from the off; Costa leading the line at Stamford Bridge, with Pedro, Ruben Loftus-Cheek and Willian providing attacking support from midfield. Jon Obi Mikel is again favoured to the returning Nemanja Matic alongside Cesc Fabregas.
In terms of the visitors, Manuel Pellegrini has made four changes to his side from the 1-0 win over Paris Saint-Germain in midweek - a gruelling match which would have taken its toll on a lot of these players. Yaya Toure is among those integrated into the starting lineup, and the powerful midfielder will take over captaincy duties this evening in Vincent Kompany's absence.
MANCHESTER CITY TEAM NEWS!
STARTING XI: Hart; Kolarov, Mangala, Otamendi, Zabaleta; Toure, Fernandinho; Nasri, De Bruyne, Navas; Aguero
SUBS: Caballero, Sagna, Demichelis, Fernando, Delph, Bony, Kelechi
Samir Nasri, Aleksandar Kolarov and Pablo Zabaleta are also handed starting berths, meaning just two changes from the last league outing seven days ago at the Etihad Stadium. Sergio Aguero, who missed a penalty in that PSG win, leads the line ahead of Nasri, Jesus Navas and an in-form Kevin de Bruyne. Fernandinho retains his place alongside Toure in a deeper midfield position.
De Bruyne has contributed to 27 goals for Man City in his maiden campaign at the club, despite being out for a couple of months through injury. He has 15 goals of his own in all, while also setting up a further 12 for his teammates - a joint-high tally alongside Aguero. Speaking of the Argentine forward, his 11 strikes this calendar year is more than any other Premier League player.
So no Vincent Kompany once more for the Citizens, but he is expected to make his latest return to action in midweek when taking on Newcastle United. Raheem Sterling is another in contention for that one, having made a welcome return to training over the past few days. All focus may well be on the Champions League for City, but they will certainly not give up their title pursuit while it is still mathematically possible.
It has been a busy day of action in the Premier League already, beginning with Sunderland's 3-0 win over Norwich City in the early kickoff. Newcastle picked up a crucial win of their own over Swansea by the same scoreline a little earlier, while Man United and Watford also saw off Aston Villa and West Brom respectively. The match between Southampton and Everton ended all square at 1-1.
PREDICTION! That means Man United are just a point behind rivals City, albeit having played a game more ahead of kickoff at Stamford Bridge. With that in mind I am expecting the Citizens to be well up for this game, particularly on the back of an historic occasion just a few days ago. Chelsea have little to play for on the face of it, and that will tell as they fall to a 2-0 defeat on home soil.
Both sets of players have now made their way out onto the field of play, with kickoff now just a matter of moments away. Let's hope for an entertaining clash at Stamford Bridge to round off this dramatic day in the Premier League.
KICKOFF! We are underway at Stamford Bridge - Chelsea in their traditional blue colours while City are sporting their luminous green strip. Positive start to the game from the visitors, who are looking to make an early impression.
CHANCE! It has taken less than three minutes for De Bruyne to tease the Chelsea backline, as he gets in behind and picks out Aguero just a few yards from goal. The goalscoring ace saw his shot brilliantly blocked by Cahill to prevent an early breakthrough.
OFF THE LINE! A real frenetic start in West London, as Costa capitalises on some uncertainty in the City defence and sets up Pedro for a free shot on goal. The Spaniard's effort was stopped superbly on the line by Otamendi, who positioned himself well to make the clearance.
No sign of this game settling down anytime soon, with Chelsea still getting right in their opponents' face. A sloppy Fabregas pack is pounced on by Kolarov, but City unable to make the most of the opening in truth. We can expect a few goals today if these opening seven minutes are anything to go by.
GOAL DISALLOWED! Baba does well to pick out Costa, who has only Hart to bear. The striker comes out on top in that battle, picking out the net at the second time of asking, but the offside flag was quickly up to deny him a goal on his return to action.
Fabregas lunges in on Aguero but avoids a booking on this occasion. Aguero looking a little groggy after that, which is always a concern for City supporters - he is vital to this side. Chelsea the side on top at Stamford Bridge, but no way through thus far.
Man City now beginning to look more composed on the ball, working their way up the field in a patient manner. Chelsea soon win back possession in their own box, however, and a quick break forward looks to be on the cards until Mangala got across to cut out the danger.
The visitors just finding a few gaps in the attacking third, which they so far have not really capitalised on. Navas instead goes out wide, earning a corner which is curled in by De Bruyne before being headed well clear.
Costa has a shot blocked away and, when Fabregas looked to turn it back into a dangerous position, he was thwarted by a mixture of offside flag and Hart's quick reaction. The game has settled down a little over the past few minutes following that explosive start.
SAVE! Great play by Loftus-Cheek to turn his man and create some space for a shot inside the box. It was a decent hit, too, low and hard across Hart which forced the England keeper into a big stop. Referee Mike Dean clearly did not see it, though, and instead awards a goal-kick.
Mike Dean levelling things up a little when awarding Chelsea a corner kick after Pedro's attempt went wide of the target. A couple of good deliveries into the box, but City are alert and able to clear their lines on both occasions.
SAVE! Best chance of the match so far for City, who turn defence into attack in seconds thanks to Toure's powerful burst and through-ball to De Bruyne. The Belgian raced through on goal but was denied by Courtois' legs when left under a little pressure in a one-on-one situation.
It has been a very entertaining match at Stamford Bridge so far, with both sides creating a couple of good openings. Chelsea had one shot saved off the line, while Manchester City could also have taken the lead when Kevin de Bruyne was played through on goal a couple of minutes ago.
End-to-end stuff at Stamford Bridge, it really is. City are looking the more likely to score at the moment, with Navas almost picking out Aguero just a few yards out from goal. Chelsea having to do a fair bit of defending to deny their opponents.
SAVE! Courtois again called into action, this time to deny Nasri who was in on goal. Up the other end, Willian's cross is well cut out before a blue shirt can turn it goalwards. Pablo Zabaleta is shown a yellow for his challenge on Fabregas close to the dugout.
A sweeping City move, led by Aguero, comes to an end when Fernandinho plays a weak pass in midfield. Still no goals in West London, but plenty of entertainment. The quality of play itself has not been great, in truth, with neither side really at their best in front of goal.
GOAL! CHELSEA 0-1 MANCHESTER CITY (SERGIO AGUERO)
A devastating City counter leads to the opening goal of the match, converted expertly by Aguero on the edge of the opposition box. Having successfully defended a corner, the Citizens launched a break through De Bruyne, who did well to pick out Aguero in a central position. The South American forward took a touch to compose himself, before picking out the bottom corner via a deflection.
A nice cross from Pedro is well defended by Kolarov at the expense of a corner - Chelsea's eighth of the match already. The Blues looking to step things up after that Aguero strike, yet it is the Citizens who continue to like livelier in the attacking third.
Around seven minutes to go until half time at Stamford Bridge, and it is City who find themselves ahead. Chelsea's chances have dried up in the second quarter of this match, but they do look as though they have at least one goal in them.
Chelsea enjoying a spell of prolonged possession, as City just sit back a little more. The counter is their best route through to goal at the moment - as witnessed 10 minutes ago when Aguero fired home.
First half just petering out a little at the moment, which is in stark contrast to the manner in which this game started. Man City still sitting back and soaking up pressure, but Chelsea unable to really ask any questions of the Citizens' backline.
The visitors doing well to see the remainder of this half through with their lead intact, taking the sting out of the game and putting together an attack of their own. Toure concedes a free kick when pulling back Fabregas, however, giving Chelsea one last chance to get the ball forward before the break.
YELLOW CARD! Nicolas Otamendi is booked for a cynical challenge, but Willian disappointingly blasts over from the resulting free kick. That should be that in terms of the first half's play.
HALF TIME: CHELSEA 0-1 MANCHESTER CITY
The first half just fizzed out a little then following what had been a very entertaining match up until around the 35-minute mark. Sergio Aguero's goal separates the two sides, coming after Kevin de Bruyne played him in at the end of a devastating counter-attacking move. The shot took a big deflection off Gary Cahill to leave Thibaut Courtois with little chance of keeping it out.
De Bruyne and Aguero took just two minutes to get in behind the hosts' backline for the first time, but the latter saw his shot blocked by Cahill in front of goal. Pedro then had his effort blocked off the line up the other end of the pitch by Otamendi, who positioned himself well to deny the Blues an early breakthrough at the Bridge.
Costa also had a goal correctly ruled out for offside in the opening stages of the match, while Loftus-Cheek's well-hit strike was pushed aside by Hart in a frenetic first quarter to the contest. Courtois was proving to be his side's best player as the half wore on, denying both De Bruyne and Nasri in one-on-one positions. The breakthrough did eventually arrive 10 minutes before the break, however, to ensure that City lead 1-0 at the break.
BENCH WATCH!
CHELSEA SUBS: Begovic, Miazga, Matic, Kenedy, Traore, Pato, Falcao
MANCHESTER CITY SUBS: Caballero, Sagna, Demichelis, Fernando, Delph, Bony, Kelechi
Manchester City's players celebrate opening the scoring at Stamford Bridge, courtesy of Sergio Aguero's well-taken strike from the edge of the box. The second half in West London is now just moments away.
RESTART! We are back underway in this final Premier League clash of the day, with Chelsea desperately looking for a leveller from the off. Nasri sees an early yellow for a nasty challenge on Cahill.
Great play by Pedro down the left to cause problems, but the end product was lacking from the Blues. The Spaniard put just a tad too much on it for Loftus-Cheek, who could not divert the ball towards Hart's goal.
Loftus-Cheek continuing to be an important player in this match, again taking on a shot which ends a good yard over the bar. Positive play from the Blues, at least, who have started this second half on top.
City having to do plenty of defending at the moment, although the Blues are still not quite at the top of their game. More pace from the hosts, granted, but still more is required if they are to break down the opposition.
GOAL! CHELSEA 0-2 MANCHESTER CITY (SERGIO AGUERO)
It is another well-taken goal from Aguero, who has put City on the brink of three more points here. Nasri slipped the ball through for his teammate, who held his run brilliantly to remain onside and made no mistake when picking his spot. Clinical from the Citizens.
A frustrating evening for Chelsea so far, then, but they could so easily have taken the lead in this game when Pedro was denied by Otamendi on the line. Still plenty of time to pull one back, which will make things interesting to say the least.
We are just about an hour in at Stamford Bridge - usually the time in which managers will think about making a change or two. The onus is on Chelsea to find a route back into this game, but City may sense a third and fourth goal as they seek revenge for a 5-1 thrashing here in the FA Cup.
YELLOW CARD! Nice play from Navas to weave his way through. The Spaniard's flicked attempted pass over the top was blocked by the hand of Cesar Azpilicueta, who enters the referee's book as a result. Toure steps up to take the free kick, blasting it straight into the wall.
Chelsea just not doing enough to ask any questions of Hart, who has had a quiet evening since denying Loftus-Cheek. City have had six shots on target compared to their opponents' solo attempt, but there is of course plenty of time for that to change.
Zabaleta completely wipes Pedro out, but somehow avoids seeing a booking. Just a talking to from Mike Dean, who perhaps offers the defender a reminder that he is already sitting on a caution picked up in the first half.
MANCHESTER CITY SUB! The first alteration of the evening sees Zabaleta withdrawn, just moments after escaping a second booking. Bacary Sagna is on in his place to fill in at right-back - a smart change from Pellegrini.
So as things stand City will find themselves four points ahead of rivals Man United once again, following the Red Devils' success against Aston Villa earlier today. A mid-table finish is looking more and more likely for the Blues, meanwhile, who are struggling to find a route back into this game.
CHELSEA SUBS! A double change for Chelsea, as Traore and Kenedy come on for Willian and Pedro. Twenty minutes left to play at Stamford Bridge, with home fans in attendance pretty much resigned to defeat in this one.
YELLOW CARD! Mikel is the latest to be shown a yellow card for catching Nasri. Play is constantly being interrupted at the moment, which will likely continue to happen as Delph is being readied to come on shortly.
It has been a frustrating evening for Diego Costa, who has limited service in attack on his return to action. Just one shot on target for the Blues thus far, with time fast ticking down to find a route back into the game.
MANCHESTER CITY SUB! Samir Nasri has another 77 minutes under his belt, putting in a solid shift and picking up an assist for that second Aguero goal. Fabian Delph replaces the Frenchman in central midfield for these final stages.
RED CARD! Fernandinho marches right through the middle of the pitch, only to be halted - illegally - by Courtois who is shown red. A bad evening for Chelsea could get worse, with Aguero stepping up for this resulting penalty. Mikel is the man sacrificed for Mignolet.
GOAL! CHELSEA 0-3 MANCHESTER CITY (SERGIO AGUERO, PEN)
Aguero makes no mistake from the resulting penalty, bagging hat-trick number seven for the Citizens. Still nine minutes to play, so City could bag one or two more at this rate against the 10-man Blues.
City not particularly looking to get forward, instead perhaps waiting to catch their opponents off guard with another counter. Fabregas's latest shot is easily stopped by Hart, sparking a mass exodus at Stamford Bridge on an evening to forget for those home fans.
MANCHESTER CITY SUB! Aguero now has 21 goals for the season, incidentally - one short of current top-scorer Harry Kane. The South American has just made way for Kelechi Iheanacho, who will be desperate to join the goalscoring party at the Bridge.
Just a cause of going through the motions now for City. It is Chelsea who are doing most of the attacking at the moment, albeit in vain as this one is certainly over. The Blues are just desperate for full time now; not just this evening but in terms of the season as a whole.
Kenedy has his shot pushed away by Hart, but it falls nicely for fellow sub Traore to take it on. The offside flag was up, however, so there is to be no late goal for the Blues. Four minutes of added time to be played.
No real action at the moment; the offside flag again preventing Chelsea a chance in front of goal. A disappointing showing from the hosts, who have failed to build on what was a promising start in the opening 10 minutes.
City happy to take this 3-0 win, rather than going all out for a fourth. The away section in full voice as we enter the final minute of the contest, while the other sections of this famous ground are now almost deserted.
FULL TIME: CHELSEA 0-3 MANCHESTER CITY
The full-time whistle sounds at Stamford Bridge, finally putting Chelsea out of their misery. Manchester City were simply too good, scoring three times through Sergio Aguero to climb up to third place in the Premier League table. A week to remember for the Citizens, then, but one to certainly forget for the Blues who have now lost successive games.
That concludes our live text coverage of events in West London, but be sure to stick around for plenty of reaction over the coming hours. Thanks for joining!
