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Watford 1 - Chelsea 2: Antonio Conte looking forward to deadly strike partnership
MONEY really does buy success. Chelsea can vouch for that as two strikers they paid around £60million for put on a late, late double act to rescue a game they could so easily have lost.
Diego Costa celebrates after scoring the winner for Chelsea
Watford coped better with the windy conditions to start with and, although it was 24 minutes in coming, Odion Ighalo’s near miss over the bar was the best on offer.
And the ease with which the Nigerian, despite the extra pounds he appears to have put on, turned John Terry not long afterwards must have rung alarm bells.
Troy Deeney, another Hornet with rather more weight to throw about than his manager might approve of, was also posing problems.
By contrast Chelsea, for all their style, created precious little in the first half.
As a result, one has to suppose that Mr Conte had more to say than his rival during the break. The words ‘roll your sleeves up, chaps,’ might apply! Words almost certainly escaped him, however, when Eden Hazard ballooned a clear chance into row Z soon after the restart. And again when Watford deservedly went in front on 55 minutes.
Chelsea were found wanting when Adlene Guedioura crossed from the right.Etienne Capoue unleashed a super strike when the ball landed at his feet and Thibaut Courtois didn’t have a prayer with what was the Frenchman’s second goal in two games – not bad considering he had previously managed only one in 57.
Conte had seen enough, so off came the ineffective Pedro, followed soon after by Oscar to be replaced by Batshuayi – and the man from Marseille showed just why Chelsea had signed him.
His team-mates had done very little to deserve a share of the spoils before Hazard let fly with an effort Heurelho Gomes couldn’t hold, Batshuayi was onto the rebound and the ball was in the back of the net in a fl ash – great goal, superbly taken.
And the same can be said for Chelsea’s winner, with just three minutes left. Costa had had the nearest thing to a shocker before Cesc Fabregas found him all on his own with a peach of pass. Then the striker rival fans love to hate endeared himself to the Chelsea faithful with a super finish.
It was terribly cruel on Watford and boss Walter Mazzarri, who had seen his side dominate for long periods only to be undone by a couple of class acts.
Mazzarri praised his players, saying: ‘‘They worked so hard against a very good team but we were unlucky.
‘‘We were much better than we were at Southampton last week and we can hold our heads high.’’