Watford run riot to put Conte under severe pressure
Antonio Conte asked for a vote of confidence. Instead he got the kind of crushing defeat that can hasten the sack. The Chelsea head coach is under severe pressure now, fighting for his job, if he wants to keep it beyond this season, and make no mistake about that.
Will Conte still be in charge when Chelsea host West Bromwich Albion next Monday? Nothing can be assumed. This is a club that will not risk failure and are not afraid of change. They will not risk finishing outside the top four. And they are also less likely to risk it for a manager who has pushed them and tested their patience.
Defeats happen. But it is the manner of the defeat that counts. And this was shocking in its capitulation with Conte later complaining that his team played with fear, without personality, without confidence. That sounded like resigned talk. It was the kind of talk that Roman Abramovich, who is in London, but who was not at this game, will not want to hear. And neither, history has told us, is he afraid to act; especially at this crucial point of the campaign.
Chelsea have won only three of their last 10 games, which includes knocking Norwich City out of the FA Cup on penalties, and with this defeat they have conceded seven goals in their last two Premier League matches: three against Bournemouth at Stamford Bridge and now four, here, against a rampant Watford who were re-energised under their new head coach Javi Gracia.
Watford thoroughly deserved to win; a win that takes them six points clear of the relegation zone and halted the alarming run of results that led to the sacking of Marco Silva as head coach. This was Gracia’s first home game in charge and his January signing, Gerard Deulofeu, was outstanding.
Deulofeu earned a penalty, facing accusations that he dived, and scored an outstanding goal – one of three that Watford claimed late in the game and after another fine strike from Eden Hazard had drawn Chelsea level. Briefly level. After their goal, Chelsea crumbled alarmingly as Watford hit back hard with three outstanding goals in seven extraordinary minutes.
Chelsea had to play for more than an hour with 10 men after Tiemoue Bakayoko was dismissed following such a woefully hapless display that it led to cruel claims they would fare better with a man fewer.
Bakayoko lost the ball seven times in the opening 30 minutes, leading to three chances for Watford and was yellow carded for a clumsy challenge on Etienne Capoue after another piece of poor control. Just five minutes later referee Mike Dean cautioned Bakayoko again, after he again failed to control the ball, trodding on Richarlison. It seemed a harsh decision and Bakayoko was stunned while his departure was greeted with angry rebukes from the travelling Chelsea fans.
Those fans rallied behind Conte, and maybe that will count in his favour, but that looming last-16 Champions League tie against Barcelona now appears increasingly crucial. And it was a Barcelona player, Deulofeu, on loan until the end of the season, who undid Chelsea and Conte. They could not cope with his pace, or that of Richarlison, who bizarrely burst into tears after being substituted, while their defence was physically dominated by a resurgent Troy Deeney.
It was Deeney who scored the opening goal, driving the ball home from the penalty spot, which sparked a dubious celebration from him that may lead to questions being asked by the Football Association. Not smart from a man who has served lengthy bans this season.
The penalty came as Deulofeu ran on to a through ball from Daryl Janmaat with goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois hurtling from goal. There was contact, but did Deulofeu make the most of it? Chelsea protested. Dean stood firm.
With Bakayoko’s departure Conte, who rested Marcos Alonso and later suggested he got his team selection wrong, as he also started without a striker before bringing on new signing Olivier Giroud, sacrificed the fit-again Willian. On came Cesc Fabregas to provide some ballast but it was not until late on when Hazard sparked into life that Chelsea threatened.
Hazard stole possession, cut inside on to his right foot and bent a superb 25-yard shot around goalkeeper Orestis Karnezis and in.
Janmaat restored the lead with a quite brilliant goal as he ran in from the right, played a one-two with Roberto Pereyra, evaded two halfhearted challenges and side-footed his shot across Courtois.
Deulofeu then sprinted from his own half and stroked the ball low into the corner of the goal.
That sealed it. But there was still more to come with another lovely strike as Pereyra ran on to Abdoulaye Doucoure’s pass before hammering a powerful cross-shot in. It meant Chelsea have now lost their last seven league games when they have been trailing at half-time. It also secured Watford’s biggest-ever Premier League win and one of Chelsea’s biggest and most humiliating defeats in the Abramovich era. For Conte the heat is on.
Watford (4-3-3) Karnezis 6; Janmaat 7, Prodl 7, Mariappa 7, Holebas 7; Capoue 8, Doucoure 8, Zeegelaar 7; Deulofeu 9 (Carrillo 89), Deeney 8 (Gray 90), Richarlison 8 (Pereyra 65). Subs Bachmann (g), Ndong, Lukebakio, Mukena. Booked Richarlison, Prodl. Chelsea (3-4-3) Courtois 6; Azpilicueta 6, Luiz 6, Cahill 6; Zappacosta 5, Kante 5, Bakayoko 2, Moses 6; Willian 6 (Fabregas 34), Hazard 5, Pedro 5 (Giroud 64). Subs Caballero (g), Rudiger, Drinkwater, Palmeiri, Hudson-odoi. Booked Bakayoko, Luiz, Fabregas. Sent off Bakayoko. Referee Mike Dean (Cheshire).