Premier League Coverage: Arsenal 0-0 Chelsea as it Happened

21:58: That's all from us for the evening. With just two points separating the top five and just eight separating the top eight, we are nicely poised for an exhilarating festive period of football. Join us on Boxing Day for more action and from all at IB Times UK have a great Christmas.

21:55: And that's it. Just as they did at Old Trafford, Chelsea have clinched a valuable away draw. Arsenal were frustrated for large portions of the game, forcing just two efforts on target all game. Olivier Giroud should have done better to tuck away an excellent through ball from Aaron Ramsey with 15 minutes remaining, but his effort hit the side netting. The result means Liverpool will sit top of the Premier League on Christmas Day with just two points separating the league's top five.

FULL TIME - Arsenal 0-0 Chelsea

21:50: Luiz lines up a free kick from 25 yards. Fairytale return to a big name scenario for him? Nah. It harmlessly clips the wall and is cleared.

21:47: Azpiliceueta off the line! Vermaelen meets an Arsenal corner witan a downwards header that looks to be creeping inside the left hand post, but the little Spaniard boots it to safety. Follow up corner is also dealt with.

21:44: Chelsea use their last sub, David Luiz on for Fernando Torres.

21:42: Excellent defending by Terry, or was it excellent goalkeeping by Cech? Either way. Chelsea have survived. Gibbs sprints to get ahead of his man and play a neat one two with Rosicky before sending the ball towards the penalty spot. Giroud is bearing down on it but between the Chelsea goalkeeper and captain it's cleared, as is the resulting corner.

21:36: That was the chance of the night for Arsenal. Havign endured a very quiet night Ramsey pokes an excellent ball through to Giroud who has broken into the area unmarked. His shot is fired into the side netting, however. We haven't exactly been spoiled with openings like that this evening.

21:32: Hilarious scenes as Aaron Ramsey sportingly puts the ball out of play after Ramires collapsed to the turf. His teammate Olivier Giroud rushes over to berate the Welshman, joining half of those in attendance at the Emirates, while Frank Lampard thanks him for for knocking the ball out of play. Oscar on for Chelsea with Schurrle also recently introduced for Hazard.

21:27: It's kicking off a tad in north London. Ozil feels he is clattered into by Ivanovic, who feels differently. The two have words before suddenly half the men on the pitch have waded in before Mike Dean calms things down. For a bit anyway, minutes later, Rosicky rattles through Ivanovic and picks up a yellow card for his trouble.

21:22: Torres manages to stretch and get on the end of a long ball with his back to goal, nodding it back down into the path of Lampard whose powerful shot is saved easily enough. Oscar warming up for Chelsea.

21:15: Back to the Emirates, Eden Hazard attempts to fire off a shot near the byline but collapses in a heap. Moments later the referee awards an old school drop ball, much to the delight of purists everywhere.

21:12: Tottenham Hotspur have confirmed that Tim Sherwood will manage the club until the end of next season.

21:08: First noteworthy move of the half comes as Willian picks up possession and pushes forward before finding Hazard, who dances his way to the edge of the area. His ball to Ramires, who has constantly provided an option on that inside right flank, is short, however, and Arsenal clear.

21:05: Away from the action for a moment, reports this evening suggest Tim Sherwood has been named the new Tottenham Hotspur manager until the end of the season.

21:02: And we are back underway at the Emirates. Can someone find an opening here or are Liverpool set to top the Premier League on Christmas Day?

20:50: Half time at the Emirates and it's goalless. A fairly tame affair kicked into life when Frank Lampard struck the cross bar after connecting wit a wonderful lofted pass from Hazard. The Belgian has been the source of all Chelsea's moments of danger since then and looked to have teed up Willian just before the final whistle, but the Brazilian's effort was a poor one.

It hasn't been a spectacle, but a disciplined Chelsea have nullified the flair of Arsenal thus far. The hosts may have a case for a penalty after Willian caught Walcott, who was always looking to hit the deck, but replays suggest there was contact.

HALF TIME - Arsenal 0-0 Chelsea

20:44: Great chance for Chelsea on the break. Hazard bounces menacingly up the pitch with the visitors holding a four on three advantage. With Willian to his left and two others on his right, Hazard plays it across to the Brazilian who looks to curl one across goal, but it is a tame effort comfortably gathered by Szczesny.

20:38: Ozil goes on an excellent run to wiggle his way into the box and looks to find Walcott with a cute ball. Before he can get the ball under control, his foot is clipped by Willian. Shouts for a penalty and it very well could have been given. Prior to that Mikel and Arteta clashed in a nasty challenge where the Spaniard looked to have been scythed by the upwards studs of the Chelsea man.

20:36: Hazard dances his way into the box and slides the ball across to Torres who shapes to shoot across goal from the left but it is well saved by Szczesny. Moments later Willian finds Torres again but Mertesacker cleverly intercepts. Hazard is threatening to open this game up now.

20:32: Lampard smacks the cross bar! So unlucky from Chelsea. The away side up the tempo in midfield and perhaps for the first time all evening find Hazard on the edge of the box through the club's all time leading goal scorer. The Belgian dinks a delightful ball over the top to find Lampard again who has broken into the box from the right, and his volley really deserved to hit the back of the net. It bounces off the woodwork back in the box but Ramires is unable to pick up the pieces.

20:29: Chelsea win the ball back and commit forward. After some patient approach play from Ivanovic he plays the ball to Willian who swings in a great ball for Ramires. The Brazilian meets it with a good header, but it sails just over the bar.

20:27: Arsenal fashioning a few half chances, Sagna squeezes in an excellent cross that finds Giroud who is positioned on the penalty area. Only some great defending from Cahill can snuff out the danger.

20:25: Ozil is bounced off the ball by Lampard 30 yards from goal and the ref blows from a free kick. The German attempts to dink a ball into the danger zone but it skids viciously off the greasy surface and out for a free kick.

20:23: Ramires does brilliantly to maraud down the right to swing in an inviting cross. Torres, however, has hit the deck in the box, and the ball bounces out of danger as the Chelsea striker complains pointlessly to the ref.

20:19: Better now from Arsenal, Rosicky and Giroud nearly combine just on the edge of the area but Terry is in place to nullify the danger.

20:17: Arteta plays a long ball over the top that nearly falls kindly for Walcott, but the forward can't bring it down in time before it is hacked away by Cahill.

20:14: Azpiliceuta catches Ramsey with a late and needless challenge on the back of the ankles that really could have drawn a booking. Moments later, Lampard crashes through Bacary Sagna with a tough challenge that leaves the Frenchman sprawled out on the sidelines in front of the feet of Mourinho.

20:12: Mertesacker attempts to swap shirts early with Torres and the Spaniard gives it some straight back. Mike Dean penalises a miffed looking Torres.

20:10: Both sides guilty of giving the ball away, Ramires sends a baffling ball across the pitch to no one in particular, but as soon as they pick it up Arsenal have gifted it back to the visitors. Torres threatens to break through the middle with a powerful run by Mertesacker firmly steps across to intercept.

20:07: Aaron Ramsey carelessly gives the ball away with Hazard lurking. the Belgian nips the ball away and skips past the Welshman before sliding the ball into the patch of Willian. The Brazilian tries to slide it through to Fernando Torres but his effort is a little short, allowing Sagna to slide in with a crunching interception.

20:04: After being rested against Manchester City Kieron Gibbs flings a wayward ball back to his goalkeeper with his first touch that is hacked away for a corner. Lampard swings it in but it is headed away from danger.

20:01: And we are off and running!

19:57: Mourinho has been sat on his own on the away team benches pitch side for the past five or ten minutes. Could signify a deeply psychological mind game, or perhaps John Terry has been leading the pre-match team talk?

19:55: Five minutes away from kick off at the Emirates now.

19:48: In case you haven't notice, the capital has taken a hell of a beating from stormy conditions throughout the day but the turf at the Emirates looks as pristine as ever. Here's what Mourinho had to say on the conditions.

"I like winter football. The most important thing is the condition of the pitch and the pitch is fantastic. It's fast because of the rain and maybe a bit windy but the pitch is fantastic."

19:42: Another damming stat for Fernando Torres; 17 games since his last away goal for the Blues, but he did open the scoring in this fixture last season as Chelsea secured a 2-1 victory.

19:34: No Andre Schurrle for the Blues tonight, he's another left on the bench. The German scored twice in his last Premier League start against Stoke City and was unlucky not to get a hat-trick for his efforts but was one of many to struggle for the Blues in his last start in the Capital One Cup loss to Sunderland.

19:25: Despite rumours suggesting otherwise, Laurent Koscielny will not be making a miraculous return to the Arsenal starting XI. Thomas Vermaelen starts alongside Per Mertesacker in what is just the Belgian's second league start of the season.

19:20: No place for Ashley Cole in the starting line up with Azpiliceuta once again preferred. Willian is preferred to Juan Mata.

19:18: Here is confirmation of those substitutes:

Arsenal bench: Fabianski, Monreal, Jenkinson, Flamini, Cazorla, Bendtner, Podolski

Chelsea bench: Schwarzer, Cole, David Luiz, Schurrle, Mata, Oscar, Eto'o

19:15: Good news for Arsenal, Lukas Podolski has also returned to the bench for the Gunners, the first time he's made the squad since tearing his hamstring four months ago.

TEAM NEWS

Arsenal starting XI: Szczesny; Sagna, Mertesacker, Vermaelen, Gibbs; Arteta, Rosicky, Ramsey, Ozil, Walcott; Giroud

Chelsea starting XI: Cech, Ivanovic, Cahill, Terry (c), Azpilicueta; Mikel, Lampard; Ramires, Willian, Hazard; Torres.

19:10: Arsenal are without the suspended Jack Wilshere this evening. Wenger has indicated he will hand Mesut Ozil a break over the festive period, but that won't be happening the tight with the Germany international to start against his former manager.

19:05: Damming stat for Wenger as we count down to kick off; in nine meetings in all competitions against 'The Special One' he is yet to register a win. A lot has changed though since these two last met in the league, is it time for a change?

19:02: The headline ahead of tonight's game; a win for Arsene Wenger's side will see them return to the summit of the Premier League where they will sit on Christmas Day should tonight go according to plan. A win for Chelsea will see them move level on points with league leaders Liverpool, but only a 10 goal margin over the Gunners will see them displace Brendan Rodgers' side at the top. Despite Arsenal conceding six in their last outing, it's probably safe to rule that scenario out, however.

19:00: Good evening and welcome to IB Times UK's LIVE coverage of this evening's Premier League action between Arsenal and Chelsea at the Emirates Stadium. London has been absolutely battered by a storm today but we are still scheduled to kick off at 20:00 (GMT) so stick with us for all your team news as we get it.