TAMMY TRIUMPH
But Blues made to hang on
NORMAL service resumed, just about after a dramatic finish, for Chelsea and their striker Tammy Abraham.
Their midweek run-ending defeat to Manchester United was just a blip for Chelsea, who returned to winning ways.
And for this three points which lifted Frank Lampard’s side up to third, they were largely indebted to Abraham and late heroics from Kepa Arrizabalaga.
Abraham was back on the scoresheet for the first time in six games, setting Chelsea on their way with his ninth league goal of the season to draw level with Sergio Aguero at the top of the Premier scoring chart. He set up Chelsea’s second, too, for Christian Pulisic. Chelsea winning away for Lampard this season is no surprise and until Gerard Deulofeu got nerves jangling with a VAR-awarded penalty this was a more comfortable away day.
Chelsea, t he Premier League’s most prolific side on the road, held on to clinch a seventh successive away win in all competitions, equalling a club record. For Watford, it is already time to start doing the maths and wondering how and where they will get the points they need to stay up.
For the first time in their history they have failed to win any of their opening
11 league games. If not for the brilliant Ben Foster, this could easily have been a hammering togo with their 8-0 loss at Manchester
City in September. And Quique Sanchez Flores is already having to deal with ‘you don’t know what you’re doing’ taunts after taking off Daryl Janmaat. Chelsea fans travel in good spirits these days and begun by serena ding J or gin ho, a once maligned figure. After five minutes of dominance he produced the sort of influential and decisive moment that has been a much more regular occurrence this season. There looked little on when Mason Mount, out on the right wing, fed the ball infield to Jorginho. But with one swing of his right boot the Italian clipped a delightful pass in behind Watford’s defence which Abraham ran on to and lobbed past Foster. Chelsea were in control, streaming forward at will at times and Abraham should have had a second when he benefitted from a luck ricochet, Mount’s shot running into his path off Craig Dawson. But the striker’s shot was too close to the Watford keeper. From the resulting corner Pulisic almost scored with a flicked, looping near-post header that was not too dissimilar to his hat-trick clincher against Burnley a week ago.
This time the overworked Foster impressively clawed the ball away as it dropped towards the far corner.
Watford suffered another setback when Craig Cathcart succumbed to i nj ury. They f i nal l y produced a meaningful effort in the 39th minute when Deulofeu’s low shot skidded wide. Mount responded with a thunderbolt from 25 yards that Foster tipped onto the bar.
The Watford keeper outwitted Mount again in the 49th minute after the England youngster was played in by Willian.
Foster was fuming after being left exposed by his defenders again six minutes later. Willian led another Chelsea breakway and timed his pass to Abraham to perfection but the striker still seemed to have a lot do to find a team- mate with plenty of Watford defenders back.
He succeeded though, largely thanks to Christian Kabasele switching off and allowing Pulisic to creep in front of him and tap in from a couple of yards. ‘USA, USA’ the Chelsea fans chanted in recognition of their new American favourite, who was denied a second by Foster’s outstretched boot.
Foster then did enough to distract Abraham, racing off his line and spreading himself to distract the England striker as he sniffed an opportunity when Kovacic scuffed a shot through the six-yard box.
It was Mariappa’s turn to frustrate Abraham as Chelsea threatened to run riot. But Watford were handed a lifeline in the 80th minute after a lengthy VAR review from Mike Dean back at Stockley Park when Jorginho was eventually adjudged to have tripped Deulofeu,whoig nor ed all the controversy to score.
Having been cruising, Chelsea had a nervy finale to see out.
And they managed it only after Kepa produced a stunning late stop to keep out Foster’s header when he went up for a last-gasp free-kick.