COSTA TO RESCUE
Chelsea are cheered by Diego winner
AS Michy Batshuayi’s equalising strike hit the back of the Watford net, the Chelsea players raced over towards the corner flag.
Batshuayi was delighted, having slid in his first goal for the club. His team-mates were relieved, letting it all out after 80 frustrating minutes.
Antonio Conte, however, was in no mood yet for celebrations. He flew out of his technical area, gesturing frantically for his team to restart the game and turn one point into three.
For Conte, this fiercely competitive coach, a draw simply would not do.
‘After the equaliser, I didn’t want any celebrations,’ he explained. ‘We were 1-1 and drawing. I pushed the players on. Then we saw the will from the players shine though.’
In truth, Conte’s more decisive interventions had arrived a little earlier. First, the £30m forward Batshuayi arrived, joining Diego Costa up front. Then, with 78 minutes on the clock, ironic cheers echoed out from the small corner of this stadium where Chelsea’s fans were cocooned.
Their side were still trailing 1-0, falling behind in the second half to the sweetest of strikes from Watford’s Etienne Capoue. For Chelsea, the old fragilities of last season appeared to have resurfaced.
And there was Cesc Fabregas waiting on the touchline, about to enter the fray. He had been on the bench again, as he was on the opening night of the season against West Ham.
Chelsea had missed his wit and invention and their fans knew it. Fabregas maybe felt he had a point to prove — and how he made it.
Within three minutes of his arrival Chelsea had equalised, as Batshuayi capitalised on an error by Heurelho Gomes. The goalkeeper parried a tame Eden Hazard strike into the path of Batshuayi, who equalised.
‘In Italy, we would say we complicated our lives on our own,’ said Watford coach Walter Mazzarri. ‘Both the goals were our mistakes.’
On 87 minutes, the dramatic turnaround was complete and Chelsea owed their late winner to Fabregas’s vision. The Spaniard collected the ball in his own half, looked up, and sensed opportunity.
Watford’s line was high, too high with Costa around. Fabregas pitched the ball clinically through to the forward, who bore down on goal and slipped the ball through Gomes’ legs.
‘We all know Cesc is a great player with great technical skill,’ Conte said. ‘He has a great pass. I made this substitution because I wanted more quality and I saw Watford were thinking only to defend the goal. I’m pleased for Cesc. His attitude and his work-rate are great during training to show he deserves to play.’
It was some comeback and had barely seemed possible as Chelsea searched forlornly for a way back into this game. Indeed, for a long time, this threatened to be a rude awakening for Conte against a spirited Watford side.
Chelsea, quite simply, would not have won this game last season. This is a side that won back-to-back games only twice during the last campaign, so to begin with two wins should not be taken lightly.
This was another win, another late goal and Chelsea appear stronger, more united — ‘like a family’ as their manager put it afterwards.
Watford, for their part, made this ard work for Chelsea. Mazzarri was ery happy’ with much of their dislay and understandably so. They ere purposeful from the off, runching into 50-50 tackles, hustling nd harrying Chelsea’s star names. On the touchline, Mazzarri matched is compatriot Conte for intensity, uriously appealing every decision. he fourth official took up guard in ront of Mazzarri’s technical area nd referee Jon Moss came over to mphasise the point. Watford, in their 3-5-2 system, conained Chelsea. The three central efenders niggled at Costa, who was autioned. In the central acres, Valon ehrami and Adlene Guedioura matched N’Golo Kante and Nemanja Matic for diligence and work-rate. The home side had the clearest limpses of goal early on. Jose Holeas fired against the legs of Thibaut ourtois. At the other end, only occa- sionally did Hazard come to life. When the Belgian sashayed his way into the box, Holebas did superbly to clear as Costa slid in.
Nordin Amrabat won possession and shrugged off Cesar Azpilicueta, sliding a ball across goal but Odion Ighalo poked over the top.
Finally, came a breakthrough. Guedioura’s cross drifted over from the right side and Branislav Ivanovic had vacated his space, sucked into a more central position. Capoue held back intelligently, controlling with panache before thundering a leftfooted strike into the roof of the net for his second of the season.
Chelsea became anxious, Conte’s voice became more hoarse, his shouts audible even to those high in the stands. Then he played his trump cards. First on came Batshuayi.
Then Fabregas entered the fray and he, one would suspect, will not be on the bench for much longer.