Chelsea bounce back for Frank
But Pearson’s woeful Watford are on a knife-edge
FRANK LAMPARD stood composed, surveying the scene at the end, prowling around his technical area, arms folded and focused.
He knew his team had taken a giant leap towards Champions League qualification and, as such, a respectable first season in charge.
On the back of the West Ham defeat and then having watched the relentless charge of Manchester United prior to this match and seeing Leicester City finally secure a win, this was a test of nerve for the young manager’s team.
And after a frustrating start, that test was passed with distinction. With Christian Pulisic, Mason Mount and Ross Barkley to the fore, Chelsea were far too good for a limited Watford side, whose chief current hope is the poor form of the relegation rivals.
Home games against Norwich and Newcastle will determine their fate. This game was over pretty much by half-time.
Barkley finished off the comforta b l e wi n , turning in Cesar Azpilicueta’s cross after 90 minutes, with Chelsea still playing at r el entl ess pace to t he f i ni s h and never threatened by their opponents.
If lawyers in Switzerland confirm that Manchester City are banned from the Champions League, fifth may be good enough for Lampard and Wolves’ home defeat by Arsenal yesterday makes that much more likely now.
Still, they won’t rest until fourth is secured and this was a good recovery from the West Ham setback.
There was plenty of endeavour but little incision during the opening quarter. Chelsea dominated possession while Watford chased their opponents assiduously around the pitch, denying them space and limiting their goalscoring opportunities.
As such, for Watford, it was a job well done. It didn’t make for the greatest spectacle, however.
Other than Olivier Giroud’s chance on 19 minutes when, played in by Christian Pulisic, he forced a fine save from Ben Foster, kicking away with his feet as the striker shot across him, there was hardly anything to show for all the energy expended.
Yet, when the breakthrough came on 28 minutes, it showed Chelsea at their best.
N’Golo Kanté recovered the ball and Mason Mount picked it up, driving towards the box to release Barkley. With a spin and touch that bamboozled his opponents, he touched it forward to Giroud.
The Frenchman let the ball run, waited for Craig Dawson’s challenge then struck it back across the defender and beyond Foster, the ball squeezing in at the far post.
Bar k l e y, starting his third Premier League game in a row for the first time since his move from Everton, is having a rewarding post-lockdown mini-season.
As is Pulisic, who was responsible for earning the penalty which delivered the second goal on 44 minutes, driving into the Watford box and heading for the byline. He caused enough panic for Etienne Capoué to charge at him and knock him to the ground, unnecessarily as he had team-mates covering.
Pulisic’s runs of late tend to induce this kind of fearful from reaction for opponents. He is growing into his place in this Chelsea team.
Willian stepped up to take the penalty, confidently driving it to the right of Foster and leaving Watford somewhat lost in terms of strategy come half-time, as there now seemed little prospect of points from this game. Other than a Nathaniel Chalobah free-kick, driven high into The Shed End on 24 minutes, and a few hopeful corners, they had created little and had understandably f ocused t heir effort on getting ten men — sometimes 11, with Troy Deeney tracking back — behind the ball.
That is unerstandable even at 1-0 down but once the deficit had doubled, it was harder to justify the limited vision and certainly more difficult for players to motivate themselves to do the requisite running which the tactic requires.
Troy Deeney shouted at his teammates ‘What more do you want me to do?’ after another fruitless run ended in nothing. Truly, his task in the second half was a lonely one.
Even when Danny Welbeck came on to assist on 57 mintes, he was out wide and thus tracking back most of the time. Deeney was withdrawn on 64 minutes, doubtless with Tuesday night’s vital game at home to bottom of the table Norwich in mind.
Chelsea remained encamped in the Watford half. Dawson had to slide across the box to cut out a dangerous Mount cross on 55 minutes.
The inspired Willian wriggled his way into the Watford box, touched the ball to Giroud, who struck from close range only to be denied by the outstretched Foster just before the hour. Willian cut inside to shoot from range on 68 minutes, forcing Foster to scramble and save. From the corner, Kurt Zouma’s firm header was collected by the goalkeeper.
Watford did venture forward occasionally but there was precious little threat. A Will Hughes freekick was met by Dawson’s head and just cleared Kepa’s crossbar on 75 minutes. It was the first moment of worry for Chelsea. And Welbeck made Kepa stretch with a shot across goal in 81 minutes, their best move and opportunity.
There was an enjoyable look at what Chelsea are becoming in the final 15 minutes, when Callum Hudson-Odoi, making his first minutes since lockdown, came on alongside Ruben Loftus-Cheek and Tammy Abraham, with Billy Gilmour foll owing shortly after as Kante limped off.