Date: Saturday 4th July 2020
Venue: Stamford Bridge
Kick-off: 20:00 BST
In typical Chelsea style
midweek, after Leicester dropped points, we had the opportunity to step up into
third place, but our defence chose the game against West Ham for a social
distancing drill.
This evening’s game,
for Frank Lampard’s one-year anniversary as Chelsea boss, we’re at home to
Watford and could already have slipped into sixth place if earlier results go
against us. Still, we don’t know any way except the hard way.
Watford know a bit
about that, because they’re hardly sitting comfortably themselves and our
result did them no favours either. A win would push them a bit further away
from the relegation zone though and we know all about teams fighting to do that,
to our cost.
We’ll wait and see
whether this is really a Super Saturday.
MANAGER’S VIEWS
Going
into today’s game, Chelsea manager Frank Lampard, says “They (Watford) are a dangerous team and they have a spirit within them.
Restart has been difficult for different clubs in different ways. They have a
very good side and are fighting for points.”
Watford manager
assistant Head Coach, Craig Shakespeare, says “We all know Chelsea have good
quality in depth and they’ve used it to good intents so far. I think if you
look at the form we showed earlier on and our performances, and I don’t want to
harp back, but we know what we’re capable of. We know what performances these
players have put in in the past and we know their attributes. The focus has to
be on us, not anybody else.”
SQUAD NEWS
For Chelsea, Fikayo Tomori is joined
on the sidelines by Mateo Kovacic (Achilles)
For Watford, Gerard Deulofeu
(knee), Daryl Janmaat (knee) and Isaac Success (ankle) are all out, Craig
Dawson is suspended but Andre Gray, Nathaniel Chalobah and Domingos Quina are
allowed off the naughty step.
TEAMS
CHELSEA (Possible line-up): Kepa; Azpilicueta, Zouma, Christensen, Alonso;
Kante, Barkley; Willian, Mount, Pulisic; Giroud
WATFORD (Possible line-up): Foster; Femenia, Cathcart, Dawson, Masina;
Hughes, Capoue; Sarr, Doucoure, Pereyra; Deeney
LAST SEASON
Chelsea 3-0 Watford (5th May 2019)
CURRENT FORM (PL)
CHELSEA: WDWWWL
WATFORD: LWLDLL
OTHER STUFF
- Watford have won one and
lost 13 of their past 17 meetings with Chelsea.
- Chelsea are unbeaten in 12
home meetings with Watford.
- Watford have conceded 11
goals on their last three trips to Stamford Bridge.
- Chelsea have won three
successive home league games but have lost eight home matches in all
competitions this season.
- Chelsea have dropped 18
points from winning positions.
- Watford have won only one of
their past 10 league matches
- Watford have had two wins in
16 away league games this season
- Watford have failed to score
in eight away matches, including each of the past three
- Watford have conceded 17
goals without scoring in their five fixtures away to the current top-six
clubs
PREDICTION
BBC Sport: Chelsea 2-0 Watford
Sky Sports: Chelsea 2-1 Watford
Sportsmole: Chelsea 2-1 Watford
