Amidst all the top four berth conundrum, Maurizio Sarri’s men stood tall when they needed to and defeated Watford 3-0 at the Stamford Bridge securing a top-four berth and also clawing their way past Tottenham Hotspurs to the third place. The Blues face all the pressure in the first half and also lost their midfield engine in N’golo Kante due to a muscle injury. In came the young sensation Ruben Loftus-cheek who is in great and it reflected on the field.
Chelsea had a different swagger about them in the second half as Eden Hazard broke through and picked out Loftus cheek in space as the England international headed it home to take a crucial lead for the hosts.
David Luiz rose above Adrian Mariappa and managed to slot it past Ben Foster for the second goal another delivery by Hazard. The second goal completely changed the course of the game for Javi Garcia’s men.
It was a fine play from Higuain and Pedro as both of them combined well and the former produced a fine finish to pile up the misery.
3. Concentration lapses in Watford defence lead to their misery
The Hornets were chasing shadows throughout the game as apart from the first half Chelsea completely had their foothold in the game. It was defender Adrian Mariappa who was caught napping as David Luiz penalised him by scoring the second goal for the hosts. Another similar thing followed when Craig Cathcart was simply out of position as Pedro and Higuain combined and the latter scored the third. Watford needs to be more alert in their dee defence as they head towards the FA Cup finals against Manchester City.
2. Was this Eden Hazard last Premier League match at the Stamford Bridge?
The Belgian talisman joined the Blues back in 2012 from Ligue 1 side LOSC Lille. In these years he has not only grown in stature, but he has also seen the evolution of the club. He eventually became the saviour time and again showering his magic on the field. It has been another great season from the 28-year old bagging 16 goals and 15 assists in the Premier League. The Blues can still see him off winning the Europa League.
Hazard is Real Madrid bound and since the past few weeks the rumours have caught more fire and things are looking inevitable right now. It will be an uphill task for Maurizio Sarri to fill that huge void next season if Hazard intends to leave the Stamford Bridge.
1. Ruben Loftus-Cheek added the required dynamism in Chelsea’s play
Chelsea were struggling early on in the first half as Watford pushed the Blues by their high press. But unfortunately, Chelsea lost N’Golo Kante due to a muscle injury and in came Loftus-Cheek who was brilliant in midweek in their Europa League clash against Eintracht Frankfurt. He continued his good form and used his physicality and speed to carry the ball forward. He dominated the midfield battle and allowed Chelsea to dictate the game from there on. He also opened the scoring for the Blues as he made no mistake to convert a great cross from Hazard in the 48th minute. He is definitely a player to look out for in the next season and has the potential to be a regular in Sarri’s starting XI.
