When Chelsea looked over the fixture list before the start of this season, Watford at home would almost certainly have been put into the “easy win” category.
But today’s game, three months in to a testing season for the Blues so far, looks anything but that right now.
Antonio Conte’s men have had a puzzling season, combining impressive away wins in Madrid and at Wembley against Spurs with capitulations against Burnley and Crystal Palace.
To make things worse, the Watford side they come up against look particularly strong. The Hornets are ahead of Chelsea in the table and look a serious side under Marco Silva, who may be competing for a job at the Bridge sooner rather than later.
Conte and his side will have to dig deep to get a result today, and some of last season’s fight and fire is desperately needed if they want anything other than a defeat.
