Tune in at 7:45 AM ET as Chelsea takes on Arsenal. Jack Goodson will be liveblogging for your enjoyment.
Preamble: Welcome all back to The Score's ongoing coverage of the Barclays English Premier League. Today we have a killer fixture, another London Derby in fact. Arsenal will be looking to make a massive statement against a Chelsea side coming off a pair of tumultuous results at Stamford Bridge.
This contest is always special, and today should be no different.
Teams
Chelsea
Cech, Bosingwa, Ivanovic , Terry, Cole, Ramires, Mikel, Lampard, Sturridge, Torres, Mata. Substitutes: Blackman, Bertrand, Luiz, Romeu, Meireles, Malouda, Lukaku.
Arsenal
Szczesny, Djourou, Mertesacker, Koscielny, Santos, Ramsey, Song, Arteta, Walcott, Van Persie, Gervinho. Substitutes: Fabianski, Jenkinson, Vermaelen, Frimprong, Park, Rosicky, Arshavin.
Team news: Feranndo Torres is back from suspension to start for the hosts. He'll be joined by a pair of blossoming youngsters in attack - Daniel Sturridge and Juan Mata. David Luiz misses out after playing 120 minutes in the midweek Carling Cup win over Everton. That means Branislav Ivanovic moves in to partner John Terry, while Jose Bosingwa slots into the right fullback position.
Arsenal, meanwhile, are pretty much how you would expect. Robin van Persie is the fulcrum up top. I believe the Dutchman has scored 25 goals in his last 26 league fixtures. He'll need his midfield to provide plenty of support, and Theo Walcott to actually show up.
Not long now: The players have emerged from the tunnel to the familiar sounds of "The Liquidator."
@hutch: Anelka failed a fitness test today (muscular). Blackman is Jamal Blackman, Chelsea's youth team goalkeeper. Hilario is injured and Ross Turnbull, well, is rubbish.
1min: And we're off at Stamford Bridge. Chelsea will be interested in having a proper response after the debacle last week against QPR.
1min: Arsenal, meanwhile, will be looking to continue their upward swing. They've won seven of eight games in all competitions.
2min: So nearly an early opener for Chelsea! Cole got behind Djourou and played an early ball toward Torres at the near post, but Koscielny made a good block to deny the Spaniard a clear-cut look. Corner to the hosts.
3min: Chelsea take the corner quickly, which Lampard eventually lofts into the back post, but Arsenal manage to clear.
3min: End to end stuff! Ramsey breaks behind Bosingwa, but the Welshman ran out of room on the right byline and had to play the ball early. The pass trickled across the six-yard box, but no teammate is there allowing Cole to take a touch and clear.
4min: Djourou is skinned again by Cole! This time the left fullback has all sorts of time on the left to pick a pass, but his pullback toward Mata is swept clear by a diving in Koscielny.
5min: How are Chelsea not ahead? They have wasted three beautiful chances to take a lead here. On this occasion, Sturridge breaks free down the right and carries the ball almost all the way to goal. He eventually attempts to square the ball to Torres on his left, but instead plays a tame ball straight into the goalkeeper's hands. That's a terrible pass, one that should've been played hours earlier.
7min: On this evidence, the Arsenal defense has apparently yet to emerge from the tunnel.
8min: Finally some possession for Arsenal. Wait a minute. It goes astray when Van Persie plays a woeful pass straight out of play from the left side.
@omordia4: Because he served his one-match ban (non-malicious contact) against Everton in the midweek Carling Cup tie.
9min: Bosingwa whips a high cross to the back post that Lampard manages to some contact, too, but not that much. Szczesny claims, though it appeared the ball went out of play before he did. No call, though.
11min: Now Chelsea have a decent look from a free kick after Ramires is upended by Arteta. Lampard is placing this one about 30 yards out, almost straight away.
12min: Lampard blasts one straight into the wall.
@omordia: Um, I answered your question on 8min.
12min: Um, wow. How did Gervinho miss this? Walcott bursts past Cole on the right, and plays a wonderful low ball to the back post for Gervinho. It's an inch-perfect pass, really, which Gervinho slaps wide of an open goal with Cech flailing at his feet. That's a sitter, my friends.
13min: Wait, what is going on? This is another massive chance for Arsenal, van Persie volleying over from six yards after another wonderful ball to the back post from Walcott. I reckon neither defense decided to show up today then.
GOAL, 14min - Chelsea 1-0 Arsenal: It's Frank Lampard! Chelsea have the lead thanks to a great header from the much criticized midfielder, who ducked down to get a pivotal touch to Mata's incisive ball to the near post.
15min: Mertesacker got lost there in attempting to mark Lampard, and it proved to be bad timing to do so.
@bum.n.trinity: Apologies, my friend. I hope you're enjoying both of our offerings today.
18min: Arsenal really are having a right time of it at the back. Again, Sturridge is allowed to bomb down the right side with an inside-left run. The young striker's chip, however, is just about cut out.
19min: At the other end, van Persie breaks free of Chelsea's high backline. Everyone thinks he's offside, but nope! Even the Dutchman must have thought he was off because he held the ball a tad too long, allowing Ivanovic to break in and clip the ball off him .
19min: Ivanovic is back to work quickly, guiding the ball away from Gervinho at the back post for an Arsenal corner. The corner eventually makes its way to Mertesacker, but the German, under pressure, can't direct his header onto goal.
21min: Koscielny provides a highly athletic clearance of Mata's probing chip toward Torres, who would've been clean through on goal if not for the French defender's semi-overhead kick.
23min: Chelsea slow down the pace a bit with some sustained possession. Considering the frantic pace at which this half has been place, a right sight to be sure.
@Andres Mejia: Arsene must not think he's match fit. Only possibility.
24min: I would be shocked if there weren't more goals in this. Both defenses are ridiculously porous. Van Persie nearly finds some room on the edge of the box, but is pressure off the ball by Cole.
25min: Gervinho is called for handball as he chased down a long ball through the middle. Again, another example of not only the Arsenal defense but also the Chelsea backline looking fragile today.
26min: Cole has a crack from about 25 yards. It's a rather tame dribbler that Szczesny has no trouble collecting.
28min: There are definitely more goals in this.
