13.31 – No David Luiz or Demba Ba for Chelsea today – the Brazilian is injured. John Terry remains on the bench, while Oscar, Hazard and Mata all start for the third time in four games.

Laurent Koscielny has served his suspension for being sent off against Manchester City, but is only on the bench. Per Mertesacker keeps his place.

Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Lukas Podolski are both ill and miss out, so Andriy Arshavin is on the bench.

13.39 – Great chance for Giroud!

An absolute let-off for Chelsea as Theo Walcott threads the ball through to the Frenchman. He lets the ball go across his body but lashes his left-footed shot wide.

…and then…

Goal! It’s Chelsea 1-0 Arsenal

Arsene Wenger is fuming, as Francis Coquelin was clearly fouled by Ramires in the build-up to the opener. Martin Atkinson let play go on, with a raking cross-field pass from Cesar Azpilicueta finding Juan Mata - the Spaniard’s first touch is sublime before he lashes it past Szczesny.

13.53 – More great play from Chelsea as the Blues flow forward, but Hazard’s shot is weak and straight at Szczesny.

(How I wish Arsenal would mount an attack – Cech is so much easier to spell than… yer man…)

14.00 – Mata crosses for Cole and the full-back’s header back across goal almost finds Torres, but Vermaelen gets in the way.

Arsenal seem to be suffering from having a midfield pairing of Diaby and Coquelin. Both players may as well be at home, looking fondly out at the falling snow. They are nowhere.

14.48 – Theo Walcott has scored!

Moments after Olivier Giroud’s misses a great chance to test Petr Cech from a header, Cazorla slots Walcott through and the half-striker tucks it away with aplomb. Or ‘a plum,’ as Paul Merson would call it.

Walcott injures himself in the celebration, but seems to be ok.

Elsewhere, Coquelin is forced off, with Aaron Ramsey replacing the young Frenchman.

14.55 – Cole trips Walcott who, admirably, doesn’t dive. Free-kick in a dangerous area, and Mata is booked for kicking the ball away.

Cazorla (a Spanish Peter Kay? Anyone?) takes the free-kick but the wall does its job.

15.24 – I’m not sure Arshavin realises he’s playing a game of football, or what it involves. Giroud wriggles free and tries to pull the ball back to the Russian, but the veteran loiters on the edge of the box like a lost pensioner.

Then…

Walcott has a great chance to snatch a point but Cahill produces one of the interceptions of the season. Phenomenal from the Chelsea defender.

Then…

Giroud heads on to the roof of the net. Difficult chance, much more so than the one he missed in the first few minutes when it was 0-0.

This is going to be three great points from Chelsea, and we have full-time! In the end, Frank Lampard’s penalty proved decisive. Juan Mata had opened the scoring, while Theo Walcott – brilliant in the second half – pulled one back in the week he signed a new long-term deal.

A fine game, and White Hart Lane next. We love Sundays.