Good afternoon! Thank you very much for joining Sports Mole for today's Premier League clash between Middlesbrough and Chelsea. Both of these sides have enjoyed an upturn in form from their early-season displays in recent weeks and will be looking to continue that this afternoon at the Riverside Stadium. Victory could have a big impact on both teams' hopes at either end of the table, so there is plenty riding on this one! Let's start with a look at the team news...

MIDDLESBROUGH STARTING XI: Valdes; Barragan, Chambers, Gibson, Fabio; De Roon, Clayton, Forshaw, Traore; Ramirez; Negredo

MIDDLESBROUGH SUBS: Guzan, Bernardo, Nsue, Leadbitter, Downing, Fischer, Rhodes

CHELSEA STARTING XI: Courtois; Azpilicueta, David Luiz, Cahill; Moses, Kante, Matic, Alonso; Pedro, Diego Costa, Hazard

CHELSEA SUBS: Begovic, Ivanovic, Terry, Chalobah, Fabregas, Oscar, Batshuayi

What can we make of those two teams, then? Well, we'll start with the hosts, who make just the two changes to the side that held Manchester City to a draw before the international break. One of those changes is enforced, with former Manchester United defender Fabio coming in at left-back in place of Friend, who has failed to recover from a knee injury picked up in training. That is the only change to the back four, though, with Barragan, Chambers and Gibson keeping their places in the side.

The second change sees Gaston Ramirez return to the starting XI having missed the Manchester City match through suspension. He scored a memorable goal in Middlesbrough last match here, against Bournemouth, but also picked up a yellow card in that game which resulted in a one-match ban. The attacking midfielder is back today, though, and returns straight into the starting lineup in place of Downing.

Ramirez will be looking to provide support for Alvaro Negredo, who once again leads the line for Boro this afternoon. The Spaniard began pretty well on his return to the Premier League with a goal on his first start for the club, but that remains the last time he found the back of the net too. A ratio of one goal in 10 matches is not good enough from a striker of his quality, but manager Aitor Karanka has so far kept faith with the former Man City man.

It was De Roon who got the goal last time out against Manchester City, rescuing a late draw at the Etihad Stadium, and the midfielder is rewarded with another start here this afternoon. Clayton, Forshaw and Traore also keep their places in the middle of the park, with the former two in particularly having their work cut out to keep the likes of Hazard quiet. They will need to help out defensively, although Boro's impressive defensive record so far this season is something I will talk about in more depth a little later.

As for Chelsea, their headline news is that in-form duo Eden Hazard and Diego Costa both start. Hazard had been a minor doubt after limping off with Belgium with a calf injury during the international break, but he was always expected to start this one and sure enough he gets the nod. The winger has rediscovered his best form this season and today is looking to become the first Chelsea player to score in five consecutive league games since Frank Lampard in 2010. It is also his 150th Premier League appearance, and a brace would see him become just the sixth player to score 50 Premier League goals for Chelsea, so it could be a landmark day for the Belgian.

As for Costa, he was the biggest doubt for Chelsea after withdrawing from the Spain squad due to a groin injury, but Conte includes him in the side nonetheless. The striker has been involved in more Premier League goals than any other player this season, scoring nine times and setting up another three. Those nine goals have come in just 11 Premier League appearances this season, while he has found the back of the net in four of Chelsea's five league away games so far this term.

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It is, in fact an unchanged starting XI from Chelsea, which means that they have named the same side in five consecutive Premier League games for the first time ever. Antonio Conte certainly seems to have found a winning formula with the 3-4-3 formation, and it is no surprise that he sticks with it again today. Azpilicueta, Luiz and Cahill continue in the defensive trio, with Ivanovic and John Terry once again left on the bench. There is still no place for Kurt Zouma in the squad, but the defender is edging ever closer to a return from a serious knee injury.

The wing-backs play a crucial role in Conte's formation, and in Moses and Alonso it is fair to say that he has found an unlikely successful pairing. Moses was almost the forgotten man at Chelsea before this season, but his performances have been very impressive since breaking back into the team on the right. Alonso, meanwhile, has been solid on the other flank and scored his first ever goal for the club last time out. Kante and Matic are a formidable pairing in the middle of the park, meanwhile, and Pedro is also enjoying arguably the best spell of his Chelsea career.

It is a side teeming with quality, then, and there is no doubt that Middlesbrough go into today's game as huge underdogs to come away with anything. That is most down to Chelsea's recent form rather than the hosts', though, as Boro have shown definite signs of improvement in recent weeks. Indeed, they have taken points of Arsenal and Manchester City in their last two away games, and after that draw at the Etihad Aitor Karanka suggested that his side had proved they can hang with the big boys in the Premier League.

Karanka may have been better served saving such a judgement until the end of his side's current run, despite those undoubtedly impressive results at the Emirates and the Etihad. Today's game is another very tricky one for Boro, and next up are champions Leicester, Southampton and title challengers Liverpool in three of their next four after today. It is a very difficult run in the build-up to Christmas, but if they can maintain their recent stubbornness then it could also prove to be an unexpectedly fruitful period for the club.

Boro come into today's match having lost just one of their last five Premier League games, which is a marked improvement on their early-season form. They are now unbeaten in three - including those draws against Arsenal and Manchester City, with a 2-0 win over Bournemouth sandwiched in between. Another draw or win today would see them go four Premier League matches without defeat for the first time since November 2008, when they went on a run of five.

Their wider situation remains fairly perilous, though. One defeat in their last five sounds good and is certainly a step in the right direction, but in all competitions they have also only won one of their last 10 outings, losing five of those. Only rock-bottom Swansea City have won fewer games than Boro in the league this term, and their current average of a point per game would not be enough to see them reach the magic 40-point mark at the end of the campaign.

It is clear to see where their problems lie too. Goals are their main issue, with Boro sitting as the joint lowest scorers in the Premier League heading into today's match having managed just 10 in their 11 outings. Crosses seem to be their best route to goal, with five of their last seven coming from that avenue, but they need to start finding more from elsewhere if they are to remain in the division. There are very few problems at the other end of the pitch, with only Manchester City, Chelsea and Tottenham boasting a better defensive record than Boro, but a solid defence can only get you so far if you don't have goals at the sharp end too.

Boro's 10 goals have been evenly spread between home and away games so far this season, which makes them the lowest scorers on home soil in the division. Indeed, their home form on the whole has not been too impressive, with only bottom-placed Swansea have amassed fewer points in front of their own fans. They did, however, end a run of three consecutive home defeats with their first Riverside win of the season against Bournemouth last time out, and should they pull off a shock today then they would make it back-to-back home Premier League wins for the first time since August 2008 - since when they have won just four of 22 in the top flight.

Boro go into today's game sitting just one point clear of the relegation zone, and with Sunderland seemingly picking up a bit of form, every team around that area will be beginning to feel a little more vulnerable now. However, it is important to note that things are still very tight in the bottom half of the table, and Boro could even end today sitting in the top half. They would need to win by more than two goals for that to happen, but any victory at all would be enough to see them climb up to at least 11th.

Chelsea's potential jump up the Premier League table today is not quite as dramatic, but it would be much more significant, with a win enough to send the Blues top of the pile after 12 games. Results went their way on the whole yesterday, with Liverpool, Arsenal and Manchester United all dropping points, although at one point it was shaping up even better. Manchester City and Tottenham both needed late goals to come away with all three points, but things are still in Chelsea's hands right now as they sit just two points adrift of joint-leaders Liverpool and Man City.

They should arrive at the Riverside full of confidence too, even if the international break may have slowed their momentum a little. They have been faultless since switching to a 3-4-3 formation, winning five out of five without conceding a single goal. Many were writing them off after back-to-back defeats to Liverpool and Arsenal, but the 3-0 loss at the Emirates in particular looks to have been a blessing in disguise as it prompted Conte to switch things up, and the rewards of that have been plain to see.

Should Chelsea keep another clean sheet in another win this afternoon then it would be just the 10th time in Premier League history that a team has gone on a six-match winning streak without conceding, and Chelsea would have been responsible for half of those. It would also see Chelsea win six Premier League games on the bounce in the same season for the first time since September 2009, and keep six clean sheets in a row for the first time since 2010.

In all competitions, Chelsea have not been quite as perfect during that run, with a 2-1 EFL Cup defeat to West Ham United the only blotch on their record, but in the league they have quickly established themselves as genuine title contenders once again with their form. The performance in the 5-0 thrashing of Everton before the international break drew particularly vociferous plaudits, with some claiming that it was the best Premier League display in recent times. Chelsea simply blew Everton away at Stamford Bridge, dominating in every aspect and claiming a hugely impressive victory to send a message out to the other teams in the league.

Middlesbrough are not a team that have been picked apart like that so far this season, but then again nor had Everton. Indeed, the Toffees went into the match with the second best defensive record in the Premier League - a position that now belongs to Chelsea themselves. Their five consecutive clean sheets means that they have conceded just nine goals from their 11 outings this term, with five of those coming in the successive losses to Liverpool and Arsenal. At the other end, meanwhile, only Liverpool had scored more goals before yesterday's games.

There is a very good balance to the Chelsea team at the moment - as proven by the fact that they have scored 16 goals since they last conceded one - and it doesn't hurt that the likes of Hazard and Costa look to be back at their best. One thing is for sure, those two and Chelsea as a whole are faring a lot better right now than they were at the same stage of last season. Indeed, after 11 games last term Chelsea had just 11 points - the same number as Middlesbrough have now - which is 14 fewer than they currently have.

Chelsea's best form has come at Stamford Bridge this season, but they haven't exactly been bad on the road either. Only Manchester City, Arsenal and Liverpool have amassed more points on their travels so far this term, with Chelsea losing just one of their five outings and winning three. That includes back-to-back 2-0 wins in their last two games on the road, and they will be looking to make it three on the bounce for the first time this season here.

PREDICTION: Right, we're 10 minutes from kickoff at the Riverside, which means that it is time for a prediction! Boro have improved in recent weeks and have proven that they are tough to beat against the likes of Arsenal and Man City, but they are likely to be a little more open at home and that could end up harming them. Chelsea were on fire before the international break and, if they can pick up where they left off, there should only be one winner here. I'm going for a 2-0 away win.

That result would certainly fit in with the recent history of this fixture, with Chelsea having enjoyed themselves against Boro down the years. The Blues have won each of their last six meetings with Middlesbrough in all competitions, with Boro failing to score a single goal in that time. The last time they did find the back of the net against Chelsea was more than 10 years ago when Mark Viduka scored a 90th-minute winner here at the Riverside after Emanuel Pogatetz had earlier cancelled out Andriy Shevchenko's opener.

That was one of just two wins Middlesbrough have enjoyed in their last 17 Premier League meetings with Chelsea, both of which came in 2006. They have lost 12 of those 17 matches, and in all competitions their poor run stretches even further back. Since 1997, Boro have won just three of their 26 meetings, losing 18 and drawing five of those.

The most recent match between the two sides came in the fifth round of the FA Cup in 2013, and the result then was exactly what I have predicted today - a 2-0 away win for Chelsea, Ramires and Moses getting the goals on that occasion. It was also 2-0 to Chelsea the last time they met in the Premier League courtesy of a Saloman Kalou brace in 2009, while the last Premier League meeting here at the Riverside resulted in a 5-0 win for Chelsea in October 2008.

Right, the players are out at a noisy Riverside Stadium and we're almost ready to go here! It is a big match for both sides as Boro look to distance themselves from the bottom three and Chelsea look to go top.

KICKOFF: Here we go then! Boro get us underway at the Riverside for the only Sunday fixture in the Premier League this weekend.

Almost a very bright start from Boro as Barragan plays a diagonal ball towards Ramirez behind the defence. It is just a yard too far in front of him, but that would have been a great chance in the opening seconds.

There is a great atmosphere inside the Riverside for this one, and the players are looking to respond. They are trying to get in about the Chelsea players in the early stages, not giving them any time on the ball.

This time it is Chelsea's turn to press as Pedro pounces on Gibson after the Boro skipper had been given a hospital ball by his keeper. He manages to smuggle it out for a throw-in, but he isn't too happy with his keeper!

CHANCE! Half a chance for Boro here as a simple ball over the top from Fabio sends Ramirez through down the right flank. He looks for an unmarked De Roon in the middle, but the pass is behind the Dutchman and the attack eventually breaks down. They didn't make the most of that one!

YELLOW CARD! The first card of the evening arrives after less than eight minutes as Clayton slides in on Hazard. Not many complaints with that one.

There is a bigger concern for Chelsea here, though, as Hazard has stayed down and needs a bit of treatment on his angle. It looked like a heavy knock.

Hazard is soon back up on his feet, though, and will be able to continue here. His first action after returning to the field is to send a cross straight into the arms of the keeper, though.

Chelsea are beginning to see a bit more of the ball now and are knocking it around confidently. Boro will be fairly content with their opening 10 minutes or so, though.

Chelsea get in behind the Boro defence down the left flank as Hazard races on to a ball forward, but the Belgian's final ball is uncharacteristically poor and Chambers is able to comfortably clear the danger.

The possession has been split 50-50 so far in this match, which is a reflection of how well Boro are doing. Still no major chances to speak of at either end, but it has been an engrossing and even start to this match.

Another promising break from Boro as Barragan slides a pass down the right flank for Ramirez, but just as he looks to be racing into a good position his touch lets him down and the ball goes behind for a goal kick.

Almost a chance for Moses as the wing-back gets on the end of a Hazard pass inside the area. He doesn't have much space, though, and his eventual effort is sliced horribly wide.

Gaston Ramirez and Traore are looking really bright for Boro today. They have both made a couple of promising runs forward and look to be thriving just in behind those Chelsea full-backs.

A hint of a chance for Chelsea as Moses whips a cross towards the back post. An unmarked Alonso looks like he might get on the end of it, but he hesitates and eventually loses the ball when trying to put it back into the middle.

We're midway through the first half right now, and so far this match hasn't exactly gone to the form book. Neither side have created a chance, but Boro have looked the more threatening of the two teams so far.

SHOT! Costa almost gets slipped in behind the defence as Pedro plays it forward for Hazard, who helps it around the corner. Valdes is quickly off his line to cut the ball out, but his clearance only goes as far as Alonso. However, from around 30 yards the wing-back goes for a first time effort that he drags horribly wide.

The hosts think they are in here as De Roon blocks a Luiz header, which almost sends him through on goal, but the referee blows his whistle for a handball against the Dutchman.

CHANCE! Brilliant save from Valdes to deny Chelsea the opener! It is the best piece of football we have seen so far today as Hazard dinks a perfect ball over the defence for Moses, who in turn pulls it back for Pedro. The Spaniard sweeps his finish towards goal, but his compatriot Valdes gets his fingertips to it to tip it over the crossbar. Great stop.

Unorthodox from Valdes this time as he volleys the ball away after the last touch had come off Barragan. He would have been fine to catch that one, but he was sufficiently worried about the back-pass to not take that risk.

CHANCE! Another chance for Chelsea as Costa wins the ball on the edge of the box before poking the ball out to Pedro on the right. The winger tries to feed the ball across to Hazard, but it is neither a shot nor a pass and Valdes is able to gather it. Pedro should have made more of that situation!

Chelsea are beginning to get into their stride now, and Middlesbrough are being forced further and further back. The pressure is building, and I wouldn't be surprised to see an opening goal for the visitors before half time if it carries on like this.

Better from Middlesbrough as Gibson strides out of defence, beating the Chelsea press and allowing the hosts to just keep the ball for a bit, taking some of the wind out of Chelsea's sails.

CHANCE! Brilliant run again from Traore as he bursts to the byline down the right flank. His cross isn't the best, but Luiz can only clear it straight to red shirt. The second cross is better, but Ramirez gets in Negredo's way and the Spaniard puts his header wide.

Almost a chance for Chelsea at the other end as Hazard spins away brilliantly before picking out a pass to Costa. He chooses to lay the ball off to Pedro, who sees his subsequent shot blocked before Kante picks it up and plays it out to Alonso. The wing-back drills a low cross into the middle, but Fabio slides in just behind the keeper and does enough to get it away.

Fabio caught Valdes when he was sliding in there, and the Spaniard needs treatment here. It is a head injury, so the referee stops play, but it looks as though Valdes will be fine to continue.

SHOT! Costa plays a pass out wide right for Moses, who throws in a few step-overs to work a yard to shoot. He fires a powerful strike towards goal, but it takes a touch off Fabio on its way narrowly over.

Chelsea finally have the breakthrough, and it is an opportunistic strike from the in-form Diego Costa for his 10th of the season. Boro did not do enough to defend a corner and, as the ball popped up into the air, Costa was the only one to react. There are four red shirts around him, but he is the sharpest and volleys it past Valdes at the near post.

What a season Costa is having. He is the first player to reach 10 in the Premier League this season, and as things stand that will be enough to send Chelsea top of the Premier League table.

The fourth official indicates a minimum of two minutes added time at the end of this first half.

The first half comes to an end at the Riverside, then, and it is Chelsea who lead at half time. It was an even half for the most part and Middlesbrough were very much in the game for long spells, but Chelsea began to take control as the half wore on and were eventually rewarded with a goal that, as things stand, will send them to the top of the table.

Predictably, it was Diego Costa who got the goal courtesy of his superior reactions in the area. Middlesbrough failed to deal with a corner into the box and the loose ball looped up in the air. There were four red shirts around Costa, but the Chelsea striker was the only one to pick up the ball immediately and move to it before volleying it home first time. It was an opportunistic strike from the in-form forward, who now has 10 for the season.

Aside from the goal, Chelsea have also had the best chance of the match when Pedro was brilliantly denied by his former Barcelona teammate Victor Valdes. It was a fine team move from the visitors as Hazard chipped a lovely ball through to Moses, who in turn pulled a low pass back to Pedro. The winger swept his finish towards the roof of the net, but Valdes just got a fingertip to it to push it over the top.

Chelsea have had one or two other decent sights of goal, but Boro will feel that they are very much still in with a shout in this one. They have looked dangerous when coming forward at times, in particular through Ramirez and Traore, but they are yet to really test Thibaut Courtois in the Middlesbrough goal.

KICKOFF: Chelsea get us back underway for the second half at the Riverside!

CHANCE! Chelsea so nearly have a second within seconds of the restart! The visitors come sweeping forward and the ball is eventually worked out to Alonso in space on the left. His low strike is kept out by Valdes, before Chambers manages to lift the ball over his own crossbar to deny a follow-up effort.

Chelsea have quickly taken complete control of this second half. They are dominating possession at the moment and Boro find themselves penned back into their own half. Not a good start for the hosts!

Costa spins away just outside the box and tries to lift a pass in to Pedro, but the Spaniard can't bring it down in the area and Boro are able to clear the danger. It comes right back at them, though.

YELLOW CARD! Azpilicueta is the first Chelsea player in the book this afternoon for a trip on Ramirez after his pass towards Kante had been cut out.

Ramirez lines up the resulting free kick, but the wall jumps and does its job well, blocking the shot out for a throw-in.

Much better from Middlesbrough as they get out of their own half for a prolonged period for the first time in this half. Every time they are able to push Chelsea back they are given a roar of encouragement from the home fans, but they need to show more cutting edge in the final third.

CHANCE! This is about as good a chance as Boro have had so far. Negredo throws a clever dummy on a pass inside to let it run through to Ramirez in a bit of space, but the Uruguayan curls his finish over the bar from outside the area when he should have done better.

These Boro fans may have been fearing the worst when Chelsea came out of the traps quickly at the start of this second half, but they have fought back well and are enjoying a decent spell right now.

Despite that mini-revival from Boro, Chelsea have still enjoyed 70% of the possession in his second half so far. The deficit remains just one, though, and Boro need only look at their last outing against Man City for proof that the game is never dead while that is the case.

CHANCE! Boro's pressure is beginning to grow here! A fine ball finds Traore in a bit of space right on the edge of the box, but he turns down the chance to have an early shot, giving Chelsea's defence the time to come across. When he eventually goes for goal there is a man in the way and a really good position goes begging.

OFF THE BAR! Having withstood the Boro pressure, Chelsea are inches away from doubling their advantage! A fine ball from Luiz finds Costa, who does really well to knock it down to Pedro on the edge of the box. The Spaniard steers a half-volley towards the top corner, only to see it come crashing off the underside of the crossbar.

CHANCE! Another big chance for Chelsea! This is end-to-end stuff at the moment, and Chelsea break so quickly after a Boro corner here. Costa leads the charge before sliding a pass through to Moses, but the wing-back gets far too much on his finish with only the keeper to beat, blazing it over the bar.

Boro get straight up the other end and Fabio swings a cross into the middle that De Roon throws himself at, but Alonso does enough to prevent him from getting to the ball.

This has been a breathless period of the game, with both sides pushing hard for what feels like a crucial second goal. Chelsea have had to withstand some pressure themselves, but right now it is the visitors who are once again on top.

MIDDLESBROUGH SUB: Boro make their first change of the afternoon as Fabio departs to be replaced by Downing, who played in their last two wins against Chelsea 10 years ago.

CHANCE! Another decent opening for the hosts as Hazard slips a pass inside for Alonso, but he goes for it with his left and gets it all wrong, slicing it straight to a Boro defender.

YELLOW CARD! Kante goes into the book for a cynical pull back on Forshaw.

MIDDLESBROUGH SUB: Boro make their second change, with Viktor Fischer replacing Clayton. Attacking move from Karanka once again!

YELLOW CARD! Chambers is the latest player to be shown a card for a foul on Costa.

Traore looks bright with the ball at his feet, but his end product is non-existent. He picks the ball up in a really good position here, but with Negredo and Fischer in support he chooses to go for goal himself from range and blazes the ball a long way over. Poor.

Less than 15 minutes remaining in this match now, and it is still all to play for. It is a good, open and entertaining affair and Boro are still very much in it.

SAVE! Courtois is finally called into his first serious save of the day! Traore this time does look for support, although his pass is behind Negredo. The striker still manages to control it with a brilliant touch, though, before hitting a volley towards the bottom corner, but Courtois makes the stop.

CHELSEA SUB: Chelsea make their first change of the afternoon as Pedro makes way to be replaced by Nathaniel Chalobah.

Chelsea just look so dangerous at the moment, and every time Costa or Hazard get the ball you feel like they are going to do something decisive with it. Boro have done a pretty good job of keeping them at bay today, though, and that means they are still in this game with less than 10 minutes to go.

Good chance for Chelsea here as Ramirez bundles Hazard over right on the edge of the box. Free kick in a dangerous position...

SHOT! Luis gets it over the wall, but it just doesn't dip enough to sneak under the bar. Not a bad effort by any means, but Luiz just needed that free kick to be a few yards further back.

Middlesbrough are putting the pressure on Chelsea here, but the visitors are holding firm. Chelsea deserve the win today, there is little doubt about that, but Boro can be happy with their performance.

MIDDLESBROUGH SUB: A third and final change for the hosts as Grant Leadbitter replaces Forshaw.

CHELSEA SUB: Chelsea also make a change, bringing Branislav Ivanovic on for Moses.

There will be four minutes of added time at the end of this match!

CHELSEA SUB: The visitors make their final change as the impressive Hazard is replaced by Oscar.

The referee brings an end to proceedings at the Riverside Stadium, and it is yet another win and yet another clean sheet for Chelsea. Six in a row without conceding now for Antonio Conte's side, taking them to the top of the Premier League table, now one point clear of Liverpool and Manchester City. Diego Costa got the only goal of the game - his 10th of the season - to fire the Blues to the win, but in truth it could have been more for the visitors.

Right, that is all we have time for this evening! Thank you very much for joining Sports Mole for today's Premier League clash as Diego Costa fires Chelsea to the top of the Premier League table. I will leave you with our match report, and be sure to stick around for reaction too. From me, though, it is goodbye for now!