Chelsea vs Aston Villa - Premier League: Live score, team news and updates as The Blues host Unai Emery's side at Stamford Bridge plus updates from Tottenham vs Fulham

It's half-time on the other side of London with Spurs and Fulham remaining goalless at the interval.

Both sides have had chances but it's been a relatively tame affair to what we are being treated to at Stamford Bridge.

The fourth official announces we will have five minutes of additional time at the end of the first-half and you can almost hear the groans amongst Villa fans who have watched their team produce a dreadful performance so far.

Marco Silva becoming increasingly angry at a series of decision. He’s spent a good minute or two berating the fourth official.

Just as he seems to be getting to the end another decision goes against him and he sets off with renewed vigour.

I had to choose a player to watch for Chelsea in the build-up to this match. I selected Enzo Fernandez.

It feels as if he's found a place in the team as a midfielder who can become more advanced.

He won't play every week – sometimes it'll be a pivot of Romeo Lavia and Moises Caicedo – but it'll be nice for him that the supporters are now singing his name. 

Palmer is hungry to get his name on the scoresheet, turning on the edge of the box and cutting an angle to shoot. He doesn't catch the ball cleanly and Martinez has an easy save.

Villa have been all over the place and get deservedly punished with Palmer slipping in a brilliant throughball for Martinez who takes a touch before smashing a shot into the bottom corner.

A real captain's goal and Chelsea have their tails up. Nightmare for Villa.

Surreal few seconds for Emi Martinez. He’s just played a hopelessly bad pass directly to Jackson, who was in his eyeline and barely five yards away.

No logic to what he was attempting, but he got away with it – Jackson’s heavy touch sent the ball right back to him.

The Villa has keeper has also had a bit of treatment. In the moments before that brain-freeze he had caught a high ball and landed heavily on his back. He’s moving a little gingerly

Don't you just love an indirect free-kick inside of the box? We don't get those enough in football.

Shame for Chelsea that they couldn't make it work to their advantage. Cole Palmer had to lift it, in my opinion.

Chelsea's set-piece coach Bernardo Cueva was going wild in the dugout before it, trying to arrange the players exactly how he wanted. 

Palmer strikes it and Martinez sprints forward to make a huge save that somehow keeps Villa only one goal behind.

Wild scenes and Chelsea almost score in the next passage of play.

Villa need to wake up because they look very sloppy!

WOw how often do you see this! Chelsea have a free-kick inside Villa's box after Pau Torres is deemd to have played a backpass to Martinez. Palmer is going to try and smash this!

The visitors aren't doing much to get back into this match at the minute and that is largely because Chelsea are dominating possession.

Fofana has been caught sleeping a couple of times on the ball but nearly every Blues outfield player is in Villa's half and a second goal might not be far away.

Having been at the Villa-Juve game in midweek, I can vouch that this one required only six minutes to prove itself far more entertaining. My issue with Villa on Wednesday night was their reluctance to attack – it felt they were more afraid of losing than chasing a win.

We can probably blame that on the new Champions League format, but here they need to take a few risks.

So far Tielemans and Kamara are struggling to buy space from Lavia and Enzo. If there has been any threat, it has come from Jaden Philogene on the right.

Ollie Watkins is through on goal and only needs to square the ball to Morgan Rogers for a tap-in.

The Englishman keeps his head down and takes the chance on himself with Sanchez spreading himself brilliantly to make a huge save. Wow, Emery will be furious with his striker there!

It's currently goalles on the other side of London and Fulham fans will notice Andreas Pereira is the big name missing on the teamsheet.

The Brazilian has been dropped for today's game by Marco Silva and it appears to be in relation to an interview he has given discussing wanting to move to Marseille!

And that is why I chose this weekend to do a long read on Nicolas Jackson!

Unai Emery helped make him who he is – the increasingly elite executioner he is today for Chelsea.

He did not have much space to work with, but he met Marc Cucurella's pass perfectly for 1-0. 

The Blues hit the front and it's that man Nicolas Jackson who is at it again as he lashes in his eighth Premier League goal of the season.

A cross from Cucurella ishit first time by Jackson and his effort hits the post before nestling in the back of the net.

Moises Caicedo is indeed at right back. An interesting move from Maresca, though he has played there a number of times for Brighton.

It’s certainly one way to get each of Enzo, Lavia and Caicedo on the pitch at the same time.

A few ironic cheers from Chelsea fans there as Robert Sanchez kicks the ball long to Nicolas Jackson rather than trying to pass his way out of the back (which is prone to leaving hearts in mouths). 

Chelsea are favourites heading into today's game, but the Squawka stats show that Aston Villa carry a massive goal threat of their own.

Intriguing line-up from Chelsea as from what I can see, Moises Caicedo will be at right back.

He’s done that before - quite well, in fact - but it’s a big call. Needs must with the injuries. It’s miserable weather at Stamford Bridge.

Hopefully the football isn’t so dreary, especially with Pedro Neto and Jadon Sancho on the wings - that should bring electricity.

Manchester United host Everton at the same time as we get underway today at Stamford Bridge with Ruben Amorim searching for a first Premier League win.

You can follow live updates from Old Trafford below.

The Aston Villa manager isn't an entirely happy man at the minute with the way his team's Premier League form is going and turning that around today against Chelsea isn't going to be easy.

Speaking to Sky Sports pre-match, Emery said: 'It's a big challenge today. We want to be closer to them.

'I think this year Chelsea are going to be in the top five. If we are to be close to them then today we are going to test how we are in our collective and individual performances.'

Ange Postecoglou says Dominic Solanke reported for duty with Spurs feeling under unwell and has been sent home to rest. His absence from the team against Fulham is nothing to do with a knock he picked up against Roma on Thursday.

Postecoglou is optimistic he will be fit to face former club Bournemouth on Thursday.

Solanke’s illness has promoted a reshuffle across Tottenham’s frontline with Son expected to play through the middle against Fulham. Timo Werner comes in on the left and Brennan Johnson on the right making for a rapid trio.

Dejan Kulusevski is a surprise omission. Kuluesevski has been by common consensus Tottenham’s best player of the season, whether our wide or in midfield but starts on the bench as Postecoglou tries to manage the minutes of his attacking players, with Odobert and Richarlison out injured. Maddison will shoulder the creative responsibility in midfield.

The Englishman has only made four Premier League starts since moving to the Blues in the summer and has played only five minutes in the top-flight since Chelsea's defeat against Liverpool in October.

Sancho's preferred position is out on the left-wing and coud be used there today with Cole Palmer dropping in behind the striker and Pedro Neto on the right-wing.

He can also play in a deeper midfield role that has sometimes worked well, but I'm not sure Maresca will risk such a move against a hungry Villa team.

It's all smiles as Chelsea arrive at Stamford Bridge and why wouldn't there be with Maresca transforming a team that was languishing midtable last season into potential title challengers.

Will they still be smiling at full time?

Today's clash is vital to both teams with Chelsea having the chance to move level on points with Arsenal in second spot of the Premier League standings, while a win for Villa would move them onto 22 points level with the Blues and Nottingham Forest.

Villa are also attempting to bounce back from a four-match winless run with two draws and the same amount of defeats coming in that time.

Emery's side were the early pacesetters in the league this season and a defeat today would be a massively deflating prospect as we head into the festive run of fixtures.

Unai Emery clearly isn't happy with what he saw from his side in the 2-2 draw against Crystal Palace last week and has made five changes for today's clash.

Most of those swaps have been made in defence where Diego Carlos, Ian Maatsen and Lamare Bogarde all drop to the bench.

Ollie Watkins keeps his place in attack despite Jhon Duran putting huge pressure on his starting place.

Blues boss Enzo Maresca has handed the Chelsea star who shares his name the captain armband for today against Aston Villa.

It appears that the Blues boss is going all-out attack with Cole Palmer, Nicolas Jackson, Jadon Sancho, and Pedro Neto leading a four-man forward line.

It will be unusual to see what the formation is but potentially expect to see Sancho deployed in a deeper free roaming midfield role.

Good afternoon, thanks for joining us and welcome to Stamford Bridge for full live updates as Chelsea host Aston Villa in a huge clash.

Kick off is at 1.30pm and we'll also have updates from Tottenham's clash against Fulham.