Hello and welcome to Sports Mole's live text coverage of the Premier League meeting between Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur at Stamford Bridge. Victory is imperative for the Blues this afternoon if they are to keep alive their top-four hopes, as they trail their opponents - directly above them in the table - by five points with just six weeks of the campaign left to go.

There is a chance that both Chelsea and Spurs could yet finish in the top four, likely at the expense of Liverpool, though it is likely to be a straight shootout between the pair should the Blues pick up victory this afternoon. This is a fixture that the defending champions tend to do well in - more on that a little later - and they are favourites to get the job done today despite their inconsistent form.

TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR TEAM NEWS!

STARTING XI: Lloris; Trippier, Sanchez, Vertonghen, Davies; Dier, Dembele; Lamela, Eriksen, Dele; Son

SUBS: Vorm, Aurier, Rose, Wanyama, Sissoko, Lucas, Kane

Let us start by taking a look at the visitors' team news, as there is some big news. Harry Kane arrived at Stamford Bridge a little earlier wearing a tracksuit, so was always likely to be involved in the matchday squad in some capacity, and he has now been confirmed as being among Tottenham's subs. That is right - three weeks on from a potential season-ending injury, Kane is back after sitting out just one game for his club.

Mauricio Pochettino was never likely to risk Kane by throwing him in from the off, though, especially with the form that Son Heung-min is currently enjoying. The South Korean forward, used in a false nine role once again this afternoon, has netted seven goals in his last five outings for Spurs. Support will be provided by Dele Alli, Erik Lamela and Christian Eriksen, the former of whom becomes the third Tottenham player to feature 100 times for the club before the age of 22.

All in all Pochettino has made three alterations on the back of the comfortable win over Swansea City prior to the international break. Hugo Lloris is restored in goal as Michel Vorm drops back down to the bench, while Alli is preferred to Lucas Moura and Mousa Dembele gets the nod over Moussa Sissoko. The other big decision for Poch to make was in the backline, where Jan Vertonghen and Davinson Sanchez continue their partnership - Toby Alderweireld does not even make the bench.

CHELSEA TEAM NEWS!

STARTING XI: Caballero; Azpilicueta, Christensen, Rudiger; Moses, Kante, Fabregas, Alonso; Willian, Morata, Hazard

SUBS: Eduardo, Cahill, Emerson, Bakayoko, Drinkwater, Hudson-Odoi, Giroud

There is some big team news as far as the home side are concerned, too, because Thibaut Courtois has failed to recover from a hamstring injury sustained on international duty and will watch this match from the stands. Willy Caballero comes in for just a second Premier League appearance of the campaign, less than a week on from earning his first Argentina cap. Some better news elsewhere, though - Andreas Christensen is deemed fit enough to start.

Antonio Conte had a big call to make up top, where Alvaro Morata is given the nod over Olivier Giroud. Morata has scored just once goal this calendar year but, unlike the man he is in direct competition with for a starting spot through the middle, he was given a two-week break and should be raring to go this afternoon. Support will be provided from wide by Eden Hazard, who earns his 250th Chelsea start, and Willian.

Willian has enjoyed his finest campaign yet in front of goal, scoring 13 times in all competitions. Further back, central midfield is comprised of N'Golo Kante and Cesc Fabregas, which has so often been the case this campaign, while Victor Moses and Marcos Alonso will once again be used as wing-backs. There are a few other absentees from the squad, meanwhile, with Ethan Ampadu, David Luiz and Ross Barkley all carrying injuries.

Tottenham Hotspur are boosted by the return of Harry Kane to their matchday squad this afternoon, just three weeks - and one game - since he hobbled off against Bournemouth with an ankle ligament injury. The Lilywhites show three changes from their most recent outing, a 3-0 FA Cup win against Swansea City, while Chelsea have made just one alteration - Cesc Fabregas taking over from Tiemoue Bakayoko in central midfield.

Chelsea head into this game occupying fifth place in the Premier League table, five points behind fourth-placed Tottenham. Liverpool are 10 points better off, meanwhile, having played a couple of games more, so while the picture looks bleak for the Blues they are still not dead and buried. The bottom line is, though, Conte's men have been far too inconsistent this campaign, especially compared to 12 months ago.

The Premier League champions are now left relying on the FA Cup to save their season, with a semi-final tie to come against Southampton later this month. Should they go all the way and lift the famous trophy, combined with overhauling one of Tottenham or Liverpool to finish in the top four, Conte will argue that this season has actually been a success. Throw last term's memorable Prem success into the mix, and the Italian could well bow out with his name in Chelsea folklore.

That is assuming Chelsea do indeed part company with Conte in the summer, of course, which media speculation suggests is now almost a certainly - top four or not. The Blues did at least manage to overcome Leicester City with the aid of extra time a couple of weeks back, seeing them through to the last four of the FA Cup, and they were also victorious against Crystal Palace - just about - in their most recent Premier League outing.

Those wins sandwiched a 3-0 loss at Barcelona, though, ending Chelsea's European campaign at the first knockout stage. Missing out on the Champions League for a second time in three years will be a near certainty should they lose today, as the five-point gap cannot be allowed to get any bigger. The Blues' form all season long, and particularly since the turn of the year, suggests that they have their work cut out to reduce that deficit.

Chelsea have played 18 games in 2018 and won just seven of them. That run includes back-to-back losses at the hands of Manchester United and Manchester City recently; two of four defeats in their last six Premier League outings. The Blues will argue that they were unlucky to leave Old Trafford without a share of the spoils, though they were completely outclassed by City and serious questions were asked of Conte's gameplan.

Victory today would earn the Blues back-to-back wins in the top flight for the first time since December - pretty incredible when you consider that they won the title last term with a record number of wins. Most worryingly for Blues supporters, their team has lost each of their last four meetings with fellow top-six sides, most recently going down to Man United and Man City.

Each of those games may have been away, though there is no denying that Chelsea's big-game record is pretty underwhelming all campaign long, winning just two of their eight meetings with the established top six. This meeting with fourth-placed Tottenham provides a chance to improve that return somewhat, and they also play host to Liverpool on the penultimate weekend of the season.

Those games with Spurs and Liverpool are massive for Chelsea which, when added to the fact that they have an FA Cup semi-final tie on the horizon, it is fair to say that there is still an awful lot to play for in this penultimate month of the season. After the success of last term, when storming to the Premier League title, the Blues always had their work cut out to meet expectations. Finding themselves 28 points off top spot is really not what they were expecting, though!

Antonio Conte is reportedly on his last legs at Stamford Bridge, just a year on from winning the Premier League title in his first campaign at the helm. Defeat to Tottenham Hotspur today, or indeed to Southampton in the last four of the FA Cup later this month, could well speed up the process of attempting to bring in free agent Luis Enrique.

© SilverHub

PREVIOUS MEETINGS! Chelsea are unbeaten in 27 home league matches with Tottenham Hotspur - and 30 in all competitions - since a 2-1 loss in February 1990 when Gary Lineker scored the winning goal. The Lilywhites' 25-match run at Stamford Bridge without winning in the longest of any side at a single ground during the Premier League-era.

Tottenham have squandered a lead in their last two visits to this ground, most famously doing so in a 2-2 draw here just under two years ago as Chelsea ended their rivals' title hopes. Spurs led by two goals in that one, while their most recent trip to this part of West London saw them chuck away a lead given to them by Christian Eriksen. The reverse fixture in August, meanwhile, saw the Blues net an 88th-minute winner after being pegged back to 1-1.

Spurs will be looking over their shoulders with defeat this afternoon, yet victory will lift them up to 64 points for the season - two less than Liverpool, who will have played one game more. The Lilywhites have been in good form overall of late, suffering just one defeat in their last 20 matches since going down 4-1 to a rampant Manchester City side shortly before Christmas.

That solitary loss over the past three months came at the hands of Juventus, who left Wembley Stadium with a 2-1 win to progress through to the last eight of the Champions League at their opponents' expense. It was a huge blow for Spurs in a tie that they controlled for large parts, but as manager Pochettino admitted after the match there is plenty for his players still to learn.

Failure to progress past the first knockout stage in Europe, albeit with an extremely difficult tie, and a lack of title challenge this time around has left Pochettino disappointed. Finishing in the top four should not be taken for granted, though, and the Lilywhites could still end their decade-long wait for silverware by lifting the FA Cup. Much like Chelsea, there is still plenty left to play for over the next month-and-a-half.

Spurs have won four matches in a row in the Premier League, most recently seeing off Bournemouth 4-1 after losing Kane to injury, and they are unbeaten in 12 top-flight outings. The hope for Pochettino is that his side prolong this run, with a few standout fixtures left to play, including games against Man United in the FA Cup and Man City in the Premier League over the next few weeks.

DID YOU KNOW? Tottenham Hotspur are the only remaining unbeaten Premier League team in 2018, but they have won just one of 19 away matches against other established top-six opposition, coming at Manchester City in February 2016. Either side of that rare triumph in fixtures of this sort, the Lilywhites have drawn seven and lost 11 - a record that needs to be improved on.

Spurs have conceded just one goal during their four-match winning run in the league and have combined that with impressive attacking stats. Seven goals have been netted in the game-and-a-half that Harry Kane has missed through injury, with Son Heung-min stepping up to spearhead the side in the English striker's absence. Still, having Kane back on the bench today is a huge boost for Pochettino's men.

With kickoff at Stamford Bridge now less than five minutes away, let us check out some pre-match thoughts from both camps.

Antonio Conte: "It is an important game. Our target is to reach the Champions League and then the final of the FA Cup. If we win we go close to Tottenham, if we don't then not so close with seven games. Nothing is impossible. With this run I put in Liverpool and we have to try to win every game, not to make mistakes and not drop points."

Mauricio Pochettino: "There is still a lot of games to play, but always it's important for your confidence, motivation - to win at Chelsea would be fantastic but for sure it will be a very tough game. They are a very good team, great quality and always it's tough to compete with them. For us, three points would be fantastic and put us in a very good position in the table."

Conte acknowledges that this is "an important game" for his side, with Chelsea aiming to combine a top-four finish with FA Cup joy. That, and only that, will ensure that this season can be considered a success of sorts. Conte also says that the Blues cannot drop any more points, which is a tough ask with Spurs and Liverpool left to play, and the question now is whether Pochettino will settle for a point here?...

© Offside

KICKOFF! Chelsea get us under way at Stamford Bridge, aiming to close the gap on their top-four rivals to just a couple of points. This may well be a dress rehearsal of the FA Cup final, too, with both teams still battling for domestic silverware.

A tentative start to the match; both teams taking it in turns to knock out around in the middle of the park and in their own final third. A reminder that Tottenham are without a win here since 1990 - a run spanning 30 matches.

Alvaro Morata forced out into a wide position and is unable to really do a lot with the ball. This is a big match for the Spanish striker in particular, having been given the nod over Olivier Giroud in the central striking role.

Dembele clatters into Moses, leading to a stoppage in play. A bit of a nasty one, that, because the Belgian had no real intention of getting the ball. Moses in quite some pain, so Chelsea may well be forced into an early change here.

Both teams just lacking quality when it comes to the attacking side of their games so far. Some good pressing up high sees Spurs turn over possession, and Trippier's cross into the middle had to be headed behind at the expense of a corner.

The first shot of the match comes via Jan Vertonghen, whose effort was scuffed well wide of the target from 20 yards. The visitors have looked the more settled over the past few minutes, but Chelsea have just put together a counter that saw Willian shoot at Vertonghen.

A superb drifted delivery from Christian Eriksen is right on the money, but Dele Alli could not turn the ball goalwards with his head. The midfielder, not known for his heading ability, was sandwiched by two opposition players to make life even tougher.

Spurs the side looking the livelier when in possession. Chelsea's problem at the moment is that they are being outnumbered in midfield, allowing the likes of Eriksen, Son, Lamela and Eriksen to exchange passes - so much creativity in this Tottenham side.

Lamela catches Christensen in the face with a stray elbow, but it did not look intention - he was instead feeling to see where the Danish defender was positioned. Seventeen minutes played and still awaiting the first serious attempt.

SAVE! Spurs are controlling this match at the moment, seeing 60% of the ball. Chelsea being given the chance to counter, though, and from their latest attack Willian's shot deflected had to be pushed aside by Lloris down low.

GOAL DISALLOWED! A fine Chelsea goal is correctly ruled out for offside. Cesc Fabregas laid the ball off to N'Golo Kante, who picked out Marcos Alonso ghosting in behind to volley past Hugo Lloris. All of a sudden Chelsea are now on top.

A quarter of the match played and, despite Spurs seeing more of the ball, it is Chelsea who have come closest to making a breakthrough. Willian's shot was well dealt with by Lloris, before Alonso's strike was ruled out for offside.

Tottenham's pressing is making life very tough for Chelsea, who are barely being given a chance to settle. Azpilicueta with some good defending to cut out a pass, and from the corner Trippier's shot is sent high over the bar - his wait for a goal goes on.

Still just the one shot on target so far in West London. Been an entertaining enough match, however, with both teams looking to attack. Spurs have scored the opener here in the last two encounters, but failed to win either.

SAVE! Another good piece of Chelsea play culminates in Moses getting a shot away from the angle, which deflects into the hands of Lloris. The wing-back had other options, which he should have taken advantage of.

Some poor goalkeeping from Lloris gives Chelsea a breakthrough goal at Stamford Bridge. Moses has been given acres of space down the right over the past 10 minutes, and his latest cross into the middle is missed by Lloris and met by Morata, who simply guided it home with his head.

That goal ended Morata's seven-match barren run in the Premier League. Eriksen nearly responds instantly for Spurs, but stand-in stopper Caballero got to the ball first and seemingly took an elbow to the head for his troubles.

As disappointed as Pochettino will be with the manner of Chelsea's breakthrough goal, his side have not played too badly. Spurs remain pretty composed in possession but need to start creating chances, having yet to test Caballero.

So many bodies in the middle of the park at the moment, with Moses being given acres of space on the right for Morata's goal. Eriksen not tracking the Nigerian wideman and the Blues will look to take advantage of that as this one goes on.

Spurs have still enjoyed more of possession as we approach half time, playing more like the home team in that regard. Conte will not mind too much, though, because his side have a one-goal lead and have the chance to counter-attack.

SAVE! Eriksen rather reluctantly shoots due to a lack of other options, putting plenty of swerve on the shot and nearly catching Caballero out. The deputy keeper parried it before pouncing on the loose ball ahead of a Spurs player.

SAVE! Alonso, like Moses, has been given far too much space at times. The Spanish wing-back was able to drive a shot on target after his initial cross was blocked, and Lloris produced a good stop down low to keep the ball out.

Yet again Alonso is picked out in plenty of space down the left, with his cutback very nearly being converted by Morata in the middle. Spurs have put together some nice attacks, but Chelsea are now far more dangerous in the final third.

If my memory serves me right, Eriksen scored a belter of a goal here last season. Well this one was equally as impressive, sending a swerving shot flying past Caballero from 25 yards. The ball moved an awful lot but the keeper maybe should have done better.

We are all square at Stamford Bridge midway through thanks to that Christian Eriksen goal late in the half, which cancelled out Alvaro Morata's opener half an hour in. Tottenham Hotspur have seen more of the ball, but up until that Eriksen goal they had not really done a great deal with it.

Spurs were playing more like the home side for large parts of the first half, being given a chance to control possession thanks to their superior numbers across midfield. Up until their goal, though, the Lilywhites struggled to really put the Blues' backline under too much pressure, and it was Chelsea who looked the more threatening high up the pitch.

Hugo Lloris did well to push aside Willian's drive, which took a deflection on its way through, and Victor Moses also tested the Frenchman down low. One of the game's big themes has been the space afforded to Marcos Alonso and Moses out wide, and the latter took advantage by sending in a cross that Lloris missed, giving Alvaro Morata a chance to steer it into an empty net with his head.

Alonso was to be denied by Lloris later in the half, having earlier had a well-taken volley correctly ruled out for offside. Spurs went into the break on level terms, though, as Christian Eriksen unleashed a ferocious shot that flew right through the hands of Willy Caballero, just a few minutes after seeing a shot from a similar position parried to safety.

BENCH WATCH!

CHELSEA SUBS: Eduardo, Cahill, Emerson, Bakayoko, Drinkwater, Hudson-Odoi, Giroud

TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR SUBS: Vorm, Aurier, Rose, Wanyama, Sissoko, Lucas, Kane

© Offside

RESTART! Tottenham get play back up and running in West London. A lively first half on the whole, capped by Eriksen's stunning strike, and all to play for in the second half. Neither manager made any changes during the 15-minute break.

A similar story to the first half, as Chelsea look to make the most of space afforded to them down the flanks. Azpilicueta pulls the ball back into a good position in front of goal, but Dembele blocked his man off the ball and Spurs cleared.

Morata is played in over the top but the offside flag was quickly raised. The Spaniard can be happy with his first-half display, but if Giroud is to come on then it is almost certain that he will be the player to make way in attack.

Both managers will have a big part to play in this contest; very little between the sides on the basis of the 52 minutes so far. Harry Kane is still on the Spurs bench, remember, while Chelsea have ex-Arsenal man Giroud among their back-ups.

Moses gets himself into a bit of a muddle in the box. Tottenham's players shouted for handball as the ball appeared to strike him on the floor, but play resumed and Kante was there to rescue his side. A replay will clarify whether it was the correct call...

We have witnessed a very open match at Stamford Bridge so far. Both teams have had their moments, with Spurs currently the side back in control of things, leading to a few grounds from the home sections. Can they make their superiority count?

Edging closer to the hour mark now and Pochettino must surely be contemplating bringing on Harry Kane to lead the line. Eriksen is bossing things at the moment, sending in a delightful chip towards Alli, which the Englishman could not get to.

Finally seen a replay of that supposed Moses handball from five minutes ago. The ball did hit the Nigerian wing-back's hand on the floor, but he knew absolutely nothing about it - correct call from the referee to wave play on.

SAVE! Christensen with half a chance from Fabregas's lofted cross towards the back post, but he can only glance the ball wide of Lloris's target. Caballero has redeemed himself for his earlier howler by clawing Son's curler wide of the post.

Christian Eriksen scored a belter at the end of the first half, and Dele Alli has just scored an equally as impressive goal albeit from far closer range. One touch was needed to control Eric Dier's ball from deep, his second sent the ball past Caballero.

Dele Alli has taken over this game to put Spurs on the brink of a first Stamford Bridge win in 28 years. Eriksen played a key part - he so often does - by playing through Son. The South Korean was twice denied by Caballero, yet Alli somehow prodded the ball over the line despite three or four Chelsea players being in a position to clear.

YELLOW CARD! Fabregas sends a shot wide of goal after failing to make the contact he was looking for. What was a well balanced contest is now Tottenham's to lose, as they have a two-goal lead out of nowhere. Ben Davies booked for a trip.

Sanchez cannot quite clear away a cross into the middle, giving Alonso a chance to volley into the side-netting. Chelsea have responded well to the Dele Alli-inspired sucker punch, but time is fast running out for them to hit back.

Fabregas is played in behind and gets a decent cross towards one of his teammates, only for Vertonghen to produce a superb block at the front post. The Lilywhites now having to focus solely on defending, but that may change as Kane is being readied.

TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR SUB! The first change of the afternoon is a big one, as Harry Kane makes his return from injury in place of Son Heung-min. A tad surprising, perhaps, as the striker is surely not 100% fit after damaging his ankle just three weeks ago.

Chelsea do look as though they have another goal in them, which really would set up an interesting conclusion here. Spurs, as it stands, will leave Stamford Bridge victorious for the first time since 1990. Thirteen minutes to go!

Sanchez misses his kick and Kante would have been in had he anticipated it. Not quite sure why the defensive midfielder was the most advanced of Chelsea's players, although they have nothing to lose now with a little over 10 minutes on the clock.

Tottenham have done well to take the sting out of the game a little bit over the past couple of minutes. Not seen a great deal of substitute Harry Kane since he was brought on, as Spurs are now focusing on defending rather than attacking.

Conte a little reluctant to turn to his bench, and it is little wonder when you look at the attacking options available. Olivier Giroud is one possible alternative to Morata up top, or the Italian could well go with both men in tandem.

SUBS! Victor Wanyama comes on for Eric Dier as Pochettino attempts to strengthen in defensive midfield. A first change for Chelsea, too, as Olivier Giroud takes over from Victor Moses to join Alvaro Morata up top.

Hazard is completely wiped out by Vertonghen but the referee clearly did not see it very well because he allowed play to continue. That looked a yellow card at the very least, but worse could come for Chelsea as Hazard is still down and receiving treatment.

SUBS! Both managers once again turn to their benches, as Moussa Sissoko is on for Erik Lamela and youngster Callum Hudson-Odoi takes over from Alvaro Morata. Emerson also came on for Alonso a few minutes ago.

Four minutes have been added on, the first of which has already been played, and Stamford Bridge is now fast emptying. A fifth defeat in seven Premier League matches for the Blues, who will surely be competing in the Europa League next term.

Chelsea probing away as we enter the final 60 seconds of the match, but they have failed to trouble Lloris since falling two goals behind. Incredibly, defender Vertonghen got in behind a few moments ago but could not pick out a teammate.

The full-time whistle sounds at Stamford Bridge, meaning a first win at this ground in 30 attempts for Tottenham Hotspur. The Lilywhites trailed to an Alvaro Morata goal half an hour in, but Christian Eriksen levelled things up and Dele Alli scored twice in quick succession to down Chelsea.

That concludes Sports Mole's live text coverage of events from West London. An on-the-whistle report can be found by clicking here, while reaction from both camps can be found elsewhere on the site in due course. Thanks for joining!