Hazard’s 100th helps Chelsea climb to fourth

Watford 1 : 2 Chelsea

Match preview

Three times Chelsea have lost. Three times they have bounced back now with an immediate victory, and in doing so today, the Blues remain unbeaten on Boxing Day in their last 14 EPL outings.

Eden Hazard scored twice, the former his 100th for the club, either side of Roberto Pereyra’s fantastic volleyed equaliser. Chelsea also exacted some revenge for their 4-1 thumping at Vicarage Road in February.

In a match that lacked memorable highlights other than the Watford goal, Willian hit the post from a tight angle in an early chance which saw Christian Kabasele collide with the same post. After lengthy treatment, potential replacement Adrian Mariappa returned to the bench and the Belgian-Congolese defender returned to the fray momentarily, before finally leaving and allowing the Jamaican on.

Watford passed up a decent chance to go ahead when Abdoulaye Doucoure’s first touch made his second, the shot, too difficult and he fired over.

An excellent David Luiz block defied Troy Deeney after a superb mazy run by Gerard Deulofeu, but a fantastic tackle by Étienne Capoue to dispossess Pedro was the defensive highlight of the first half.

Hazard however made amends just in first half stoppage time.

Doucoure lost the ball in the centre circle and Mateo Kovacic gratefully collected. He fed Hazard who easily won the head-to-head with Ben Foster to slot home his 100th Chelsea goal.

Chelsea could not even hold the lead until half time when Pereyra volleyed home a José Holebas cross after a corner with a sublime strike. 137 seconds separated the strikes. A longer period will separate when the two goals are finally forgotten.

The visitors retook the lead after Watford’s best spell when Foster brought down Hazard, leaving referee Martin Atkinson with a very easy decision to award Chelsea a penalty. Hazard converted it for his 101st goal.

N’Golo Kante should have forced Foster into action with a 78th minute breakaway but fired wide. Deeney nearly made him pay but flicked the ball over Kepa’s bar.

Chelsea held on to the win though Hazard’s statistical achievement will be their most memorable takeaway from the game.

Watford fall back to ninth as Everton and Leicester both won, but they have Newcastle and Bournemouth next who collectively lost 9-0 today. Crystal Palace and Burnley follow thereafter. In between, the Hornets have an FA Cup tie against non league Woking. There are spoils to come.

Chelsea have Crystal Palace and Southampton next but the two legged League Cup semi final against Spurs and the EPL visit to the Emirates in between may do more to define their season.

Watford: Foster, Kiko, Cathcart, Kabasele (Mariappa 16′), Holebas, Doucoure, Capoue, Deulofeu (Success 83′), Pereyra, Sema (Quina 68′), Deeney

Chelsea: Kepa, Luiz, Rudiger, Alonso, Azpilicueta, Jorginho, Kovacic (Barkley 80′), Kante, Hazard, Pedro (Hudson-Odoi 44′ (Palmieri 90′)), Willian

Referee: Martin Atkinson
Assistants: Stephen Child, Constantine Hatzidakis
Fourth official: David Coote