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Attendance: 29,661
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Premier League
Sep 23, 2017 at 3pm UK
 
Chelsea logo

0-4

FT(HT: 0-2)
Morata (2', 78', 82'), Pedro (30')

Team News: Eden Hazard still on Chelsea bench

Team News: Hazard still on Chelsea bench
© SilverHub
Eden Hazard remains on the bench as Chelsea visit Stoke City.

Eden Hazard remains on the bench for Chelsea's visit to Stoke City this afternoon.

The Belgian started the EFL Cup victory over Nottingham Forest in midweek and had been in line for his first Premier League start of the season today following ankle surgery over the summer, but Antonio Conte has opted to keep faith with his front three of Willian, Alvaro Morata and Pedro.

In all, Antonio Conte makes three changes from the side that were held to a goalless draw by Arsenal last weekend ahead of a tricky trip to Atletico Madrid in the Champions League in four days' time.

Two of those changes come in defence, with David Luiz suspended following his red against the Gunners and Gary Cahill dropping to the bench as Andreas Christensen and Antonio Rudiger earn recalls and join Cesar Azpilicueta in the back three.

Cesc Fabregas is also made to start the game among the substitutes as summer signing Tiemoue Bakayoko comes into the midfield alongside Victor Moses, N'Golo Kante and Marcos Alonso following his run-out against Forest.

Micky Batshuayi scored a midweek hat-trick against the Championship side but starts on the bench today.

For the hosting Potters, Mark Hughes is forced to shuffle his pack and make two changes to the starting XI that lost 2-1 to Newcastle United last weekend.

Kurt Zouma is ineligible to feature against his parent club and Kevin Wimmer is out with a hamstring injury, meaning that Glen Johnson comes back into the fold and Erik Pieters drops back to join Bruno Martins Indi in the back three ahead of Jack Butland between the sticks.

Ramadan Sobhi is also recalled, linking up with Joe Allen, Darren Fletcher and Mame Biram Diouf, while the attacking threat comes from Xherdan Shaqiri, Eric-Maxim Choupo-Moting and Jese.

Stoke City: Butland; Johnson, Martins Indi, Pieters; Diouf, Fletcher, Allen, Ramadan; Shaqiri, Choupo-Moting; Jese
Subs: Grant; Berahino, Tymon, Afellay, Adam, Crouch, Souttar

Chelsea: Courtois; Azpilicueta, Christensen, Rudiger; Moses, Bakayoko, Kante, Alonso; Willian, Morata, Pedro
Subs: Caballero, Cahill, Zappacosta, Fabregas, Musonda, Hazard, Batshuayi

Keep up with all of the action from the bet365 this afternoon with Sports Mole's live text commentary here.

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TeamPWDLFAGDPTS
1Liverpool20145148202847
2Arsenal21127241192243
3Nottingham ForestNott'm Forest21125430201041
4Newcastle UnitedNewcastle21115537221538
5Chelsea21107441261537
6Manchester CityMan City2110563829935
7Aston Villa2110563132-135
8Bournemouth219753225734
9Brighton & Hove AlbionBrighton2171043229331
10Fulham217953230230
11Brentford218494037328
12Manchester UnitedMan Utd217592629-326
13West Ham UnitedWest Ham217592741-1426
14Tottenham HotspurSpurs21731143321124
15Crystal Palace215972328-524
16Everton203891526-1117
17Wolverhampton WanderersWolves2144133148-1716
18Ipswich TownIpswich2137112037-1716
19Leicester CityLeicester2135132346-2314
20Southampton2113171347-346


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