Chelsea were able to return to winning ways after a three game run without a victory, as they beat Watford 3-2 at Stamford Bridge.
A lovely Pedro strike gave Chelsea the lead after 12 minutes of play, but Watford climbed their way back into the game before half-time through Abdoulaye Doucoure. Roberto Pereyra put the visitors in front right after the beginning of the second half, but super-sub Michy Batshuayi and Cesar Azpilicueta were able to seal the deal for the Blues in the end.
Here are our Player Ratings from the thrilling afternoon clash at Stamford Bridge…
Starting Eleven:
Thibaut Courtois – 6 – Wonderful save to deny Tom Cleverley’s free-kick on the 30th minute mark. Didn’t have much to do with the two conceded goals, and will still have to wait for his first clean-sheet at Stamford Bridge.
Antonio Rudiger – 7 – Was in full action right from the start, intercepting plenty of dangerous passes from the visiting side. Good game.
Gary Cahill – 7 – Brave blocks to deny a handful of Watford long-shots. An alright game from the skipper, but still can’t dribble the ball past an opponent.
David Luiz – 7 – Superior in the air today. Seemed to have won each and every header against the likes of Okaka and Deeney. Was great on one-on-one situations as well.
Cesar Azpilicueta – 8 – Caused plenty of havoc to the Watford defence from his flank. His dangerous crosses into the box just didn’t result a goal. Was schooled by Richarlison at times, but his winning goal really was a season saver. What a hero.
Marcos Alonso – 6 – Offered no offensive help whatsoever. Did alright at the back though, subbed off for Willian on the 68th minute.
Tiemoue Bakayoko – 5 – Chelsea’s poorest performer today. His mistakes were the cause to both of Watford’s goals. Ultimately he was failing to connect with his passes throughout the whole game. Did assist Batshuayi’s second, though.
Cesc Fabregas – 6 – Not his best game for sure. Seemed a bit tired and didn’t really run as much as usually. Him and Bakayoko still don’t seem like the most defensively secured pivot partnership… Good long-range try denied by Gomes.
Eden Hazard – 7 – Great contribution to the game throughout the match. Big 90 minutes for him. Assisted Pedro’s opener and was running circles around the opposition defenders. Got fouled more than ever I think.
Alvaro Morata – 6 – A disappointing afternoon from the Spaniard. Subbed off after an hour and, well, deservedly so. Will be exciting to see whether it’s him or Batshuayi upfront against Bournemouth in our next league tie.
Pedro – 9 – MOTM – What a goal, what a return to the Chelsea starting line-up! Was great offensively, and topped it all off by assisting Batshuayi’s equalizer. Man of the match, 100%!
Substitutes:
Willian – 7 – Came on as Chelsea were still looking for an equalizer, and did his work brilliantly. Assisted Azpilicueta’s winner with a fine cross, and will hopefully have his confidence boosted from this performance.
Michy Batshuayi – 9 – Super super-sub cameo! Two goals to his name inside just 30 minutes of time! A huge performance for him considering his poor form in the last couple of weeks.
Davide Zappacosta – 7 – Strong introduction from the Italian, as he looked to shake off his poor performance against Roma. Will surely start against Everton, but we’ll see about Bournemouth.
Don’t forget to check out our Match Report of the match should you have missed it!
