Afternoon all! A bumper Sunday of Premier League action is rounded off by two 4.10pm kickoffs at Manchester City and Chelsea. Our focus here will be on the Blues against the Saints but I also recommend that you open this link in a new tab to follow our coverage of Man City vs. Swansea. All done? Goody good.

Before we fully focus on matters at Stamford Bridge, let's just take a look at what has already happened in the top flight today...

In the midday kickoff, Spurs and Man Utd played out a seesaw 2-2 draw that saw Wayne Rooney twice peg back the hosts.

Up in Yorkshire it's currently 1-1 between Hull and Liverpool at the 55-minute mark. Jake Livermore put the hosts ahead before Steven Gerrard's free kick restored parity. You can follow our live text coverage of the remainder by clicking here.

Right, our attentions turn to the Bridge then and team news is now in from both dressing rooms...

CHELSEA XI: Cech; Ivanovic, Cahill, Terry, Azpilicueta; Essien, Ramires; Mata, Oscar, Hazard; Torres

CHELSEA SUBS: Schwarzer, Cole, Mikel, Lampard, Schurrle, Willian, Ba

SOUTHAMPTON XI: Boruc; Clyne, Fonte, Lovren, Shaw; Wanyama, Schneiderlin, Ward-Prowse; Lallana, Rodriguez; Osvaldo

SOUTHAMPTON SUBS: Gazzaniga, Yoshida, Lambert, S. Davis, Cork, Chambers, Hooiveld

Both managers tinker with their last league lineups then. Blues boss Jose Mourinho makes three changes as Michael Essien, Juan Mata and Fernando Torres replace John Obi Mikel, Frank Lampard and Samuel Eto'o from the comfortable win at West Ham last Saturday.

Pochettino, meanwhile, brings in two new faces. Rickie Lambert and Jos Hooiveld are the two who drop to the bench as Pablo Osvaldo and Dejan Lovren come in.

Chelsea fans will no doubt be delighted to see reigning two-time player of the year Juan Mata back in the starting lineup. The creative Spaniard has found starts limited under the returning Mourinho and will be looking to make an impression on his boss today. The playmaking trio of Mata, Oscar and Eden Hazard has the potential to be frighteningly good!

I wonder what Southampton fans will make of Lambert being dropped. He scored in both games against the Blues last season.

Speaking of last season, the two league fixtures had seven goals between them. In January this year the Saints staged a second-half comeback at the Bridge to earn a 2-2 draw before they beat the Blues on the South Coast 2-1.

REFEREE WATCH! The man in black today is Michael Oliver, who is yet to show a red card this season.

Congratulations to Chelsea centre-back John Terry as he makes his 400th Premier League appearance for the club today! The 32-year-old scored Chelsea's only goal when they last faced Southampton, will he score today?

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Click here to see how the table looks ahead of the match. Liverpool dropping points at Hull as it stands too.

UPDATE! It looks like the Reds are going down in Hull as Martin Skrtel scores an own goal to put the Tigers 3-1 up!

If you scroll down on this page and check out our home table you will see that Chelsea have won five and drawn one at home this season. Only Man City (W6, D0, L0) have a better home league record. Will Southampton be the first to inflict defeat on the Blues at the Bridge?

Liverpool have been well beaten 3-1 by Hull. That keeps Arsenal seven points clear at the top but Chelsea will cut that to either six or four with a draw or win today. Click here for our match report from events at the KC.

PREDICTION TIME! Just 10 minutes until we get underway in West London so it's time to make my prediction for the match ahead: As impressive as Southampton have been against the big guns this season, it's hard to look past Chelsea today and I'm going to say 2-0 to the Blues.

I think that the most important battle on the pitch today will be between Chelsea's creative trio of Mata, Oscar and Hazard up against the combative Southampton duo of Victor Wanyama and Morgan Schneiderlin.

Oh, and I'll be looking out for England Under-21 midfielder James Ward-Prowse who, from what I've seen this season, has perhaps the best delivery since Beckham!

OK, everyone ready? We're about to kick off at Stamford Bridge...

KICKOFF! The Saints get us underway.

Goodness me, 13 seconds that took!! Michael Essien is making his first Premier League start since May 2012 and he's just gifted Southampton the lead by volleying back towards Petr Cech where Jay Rodriguez simply said 'thank you very much' by running through and tucking home.

A remarkable stat from @OptaJoe on Twitter: "0.13 - For the third time this season, a player has scored after 13 seconds of a PL game (Begovic, Navas, Rodriguez). Unlikely."

Chelsea look to respond as they win a corner that is swung in to Cahill, whose flicked header floats a yard wide of the far post.

Southampton fans are loving this and chanting at Mourinho: "You're not special, you're not special, you're not special anymore!"

BREAKING NEWS from Chelsea's West London neighbours as they sack Martin Jol, with Rene Meulensteen taking charge of the Cottagers.

UPDATE! There's been an early goal in Manchester too as Alvaro Negredo curls home a free kick for City.

PHOTO: Jay Rodriguez is congratulated after putting #SaintsFC ahead against #CFC after only 13 seconds. pic.twitter.com/wx9jqMZokD — Southampton FC (@SouthamptonFC) December 1, 2013

Since the early goal Southampton have continued to look assured, with Chelsea hardly threatening. Remember Mourinho's incredible home league record with Chelsea? He's never lost here at the Bridge. Could that run end at the 67th attempt today?

Southampton hold a very high line as Mata whips over a free kick from the right that is half-cleared before Cahill is flagged offside.

SHOT! Perhaps Chelsea's best player this season, Oscar, has been barely been in the game until now. He's given plenty of space outside the area and whacks at goal but hits it too centrally so Boruc beats it out easily.

Excellent flick-on from Hazard frees Oscar down the left. The Brazilian cuts inside before picking out Torres who can't quite turn to shoot in the area. Chelsea now looking more and more dangerous but Southampton could be a real threat on the break.

I said beforehand how dangerous Ward-Prowse can be from set pieces and he's just tried his luck with a free kick that curled a yard or so wide. Good effort but Cech was there to watch it wide.

Click here to read the full story on Fulham sacking Martin Jol.

Mata has a one-on-one chance as Ramires's shot squirms his way. He couldn't beat Boruc but the flag was up anyway.

JAY WASTES NO TIME! Here's a shot of Rodriguez looking understandably delighted after putting the Saints ahead:

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YELLOW! Essien hasn't had a great game so far on his first Premier League start for 567 days and it gets worse as he's booked for diving in his own half!

Rodriguez is hauled over by Cahill when it looked like he may have sprinted through on goal but Oliver keeps his cards in pocket. Ward-Prowse curls over the free kick but Fonte had strayed offside at the back post.

Oscar is down receiving treatment but looks like he'll be OK to continue after an innocuous fall.

So as things stand Southampton are going third in the Premier League. If City draw or lose to Swansea they'll be second!

New England international and Saints captain Lallana shuffles on the edge of the box to create space for a shot but drags it tamely wide.

CHANCE! Excellent stuff from Torres on the right win to dig out a cross that finds Oscar unmarked in the middle. The Brazilian's header is a decent one but just a bit too central and Boruc holds low.

CHELSEA SUB: Despite having Chelsea's two best chances, Oscar isn't fit to continue as Frank Lampard enters the game before half time. Must have been a serious problem if he couldn't soldier for a few more minutes and have the problem examined during the interval.

With Oscar off the pitch, Mata will now be able to truly operate at his best in 'the hole'.

SAVE! Boruc had a nightmare at Arsenal last week but he's just shown why he's so highly rated on the South Coast with a sublime left-handed save to keep out Torres's header from a Mata cross.

Moments later Mata had a chance of his own on the edge of the box but sliced his shot high, wide and the opposite of handsome.

Because of the injury delays this half we are going to have FOUR minutes more of football before the break.

It is half time up in Manchester though and this is the story of the first half:

HALF TIME: City 1-0 Swansea. @_AlvaroNegredo_'s stunning freekick the difference at the break. #cityvswansea #mcfc pic.twitter.com/4puEp0GeZO

— Manchester City FC (@MCFC) December 1, 2013

Ward-Prowse with another venomous ball in that Cahill deals with effectively with Rodriguez ready to pounce behind him.

There we go then. My 2-0 pre-game prediction went up in smoke inside 15 seconds when Essien carelessly presented Rodriguez with a simple one-on-one opportunity which he took with ease.

Since then, Chelsea have had the better chances with Oscar twice going close before Torres's header was brilliantly clawed out by Boruc. Southampton haven't really tested Cech since the goal but they're ever so good without the ball and continue to look dangerous on the counter-attack.

Oscar is Chelsea's top scorer in the league this season but he's had to go off because of an injury already. Lampard is on in his place.

Those of you just joining us who want a quick recap of the first 45 minutes can catch up with our half-time report here.

Controversial tweeter Joey Barton was impressed by the Saints in that first half: "Southampton on that 1st half performance, look the real deal. Well organised. Look to play and counter at every opportunity. #goodtosee"

Right, second half will be underway shortly. Can Southampton keep out what are sure to be a raging Chelsea in the second period?

CHELSEA SUB: Mourinho makes his second change by bringing off the unimpressive Essien and throwing on Demba Ba up front.

We're back underway at the Bridge and Torres has had an early shot deflected out for a corner by Wanyama. Mata took it but nothing came of it.

3 - Chelsea have trailed in three of their last four Premier League home games. Brinksmanship. — OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) December 1, 2013

It's really heating up out there. A number of nitpicky fouls are left alone by Oliver before he blows up for Ramires tripping up Shaw. Brilliant stuff from the visitors.

It's a scrappy goal but Chelsea will take it as Cahill manages to twist his body enough to head in after Ba had struck the post from a Mata corner.

Up in Manchester it's now 2-0 to City as Sami Nasri doubles their lead.

SOUTHAMPTON SUB: Goalkeeper Boruc is forced off because of an injury of some sort. On comes Paulo Gazzaniga for his first Premier League appearance of the season. No pressure!

Ramires hits for Ba over the top and the Senegalese looks like he's going to bear down on the area until Fonte cuts across to stop him. The Blues want a free kick but Oliver isn't interested.

Chelsea's turnaround is complete as Mata's initial corner is cleared out to Lampard who swings it back out to the Spaniard. His second centre is right on Terry's head and the veteran defender, on his 400th Premier League appearance, perfectly flicks over Gazzaniga into the far corner.

SOUTHAMPTON SUB: Pochettino makes an instant change with Ward-Prowse off and Steven Davis on.

YELLOW! Schneiderlin is cautioned for grappling with Torres to ensure that the Spaniard couldn't break away.

Chance for a Chelsea third as Mata clips a free kick that Lampard was shaping to shoot to the back post for Cahill, who heads back across goal for Torres but he can't bring it under control to shoot.

SOUTHAMPTON SUB: A bold change from Pochettino as he makes his third and final sub, bringing on Lambert for Schneiderlin. Lallana will drop a little deeper now.

Southampton were so good up until Chelsea's equaliser but they've shown nothing since and the only goal that looks possible at the moment is a Chelsea third. They threaten again as Mata gets in down the left but can't pick out the unmarked Torres and Ramires at the back post as Gazzaniga anticipates and catches.

YELLOW! The Saints are getting frustrated out there and Rodriguez is the next to be cautioned.

CHANCE! Poor finish from Ba as he drags wide with his left foot with just Gazzaniga to beat after some hesitancy from Fonte.

Here's Cahill celebrating the goal which drew Chelsea level:

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UPDATE: City are scoring so many goals at home this season and they're now 3-0 up on Swansea thanks to Samir Nasri's second at the Etihad.

Chelsea are so confident at the moment and the crowd are really enjoying Mata on form. He has to check back before laying out to Ivanovic on the right. The Serbian's deep cross is met by Torres but he can only loop a header over the far post.

Southampton threaten for the first time in ages as Lambert finds himself left of centre but still curls over a fine cross that beats everyone in the middle before running through to Cech. I can't think of one decent thing that Osvaldo has done today. The Italian has been very quiet.

Poor from Hazard after he was well picked out by Mata. If the Belgian had got his head up he would have seen Ba unmarked at the back post but instead he saw his shot blocked.

CHELSEA SUB: Mourinho makes his final change by bringing on the steady figure of John Obi Mikel for Torres, who has worked hard but had little reward up front.

YELLOW! Osvaldo's nothing afternoon continues as he gets booked for a rash lunge on Mata.

A great shot of the pure delight on JT's face after putting Chelsea in front:

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Game over as Ba gets the goal his second-half performance has deserved by converting Ramires's cross. Gazzaniga perhaps should have done better as the ball seemed to go under his dive.

A minimum of six minutes of time added on as the Blues look to see out the remainder with little fuss.

Chelsea and Man City were the two favourites before the season started and they've enhanced their positions in the table with victories today. They now sit second and third.

8 - Chelsea have now won eight points from losing positions in the Premier League this season, more than any other side. Bottle. — OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) December 1, 2013

Mourinho's men improve their home record to six wins, one draw and no losses thanks to a bulldozing second half that Southampton simply couldn't handle.

Give credit to the Saints for their first-half performance but as the old cliche goes, it is a game of two halves.

Thanks for joining us on Sports Mole this afternoon. I'll leave you with the latest Premier League table after the 13th round of fixtures. Arsenal top, four ahead of Chelsea and six clear of City. Good evening!