Match report: Chelsea 3 Watford 0 Second-half goals from Willian , Loic Remy and Kurt Zouma helped the Blues overcome a spirited Watford side and book our place in the FA Cup fourth round. After an opening 45 minutes which had seen few clear-cut opportunities at either end, the introduction of substitutes Diego Costa and Willian at the break proved decisive, with the Brazilian opening the scoring with a stunning strike 13 minutes after the restart. Remy doubled our lead with a well-taken goal 11 minutes later, before Zouma all but ended the game as a contest with a brilliant header from a Cesar Azpilicueta cross. Diego Costa struck the post late on with a free-kick as the Blues ran out comfortable winners. Attention now turns to next Saturday’s home game against Newcastle United in the Barclays Premier League. TEAM NEWS It was unsurprising given our recent fixture schedule that Jose Mourinho made eight changes to the team which started at Tottenham on Thursday, with only Azpilicueta, Gary Cahill and Oscar retaining their places. There was a start for Zouma in central defence, while John Mikel Obi partnered Ramires in midfield, the Brazilian making his first start since the win at Liverpool in early November. Remy made a first start since the 6-0 Champions League win over Maribor, playing wide on the left-hand side, with Didier Drogba leading the line and captaining the team. FIRST HALF The Blues threatened first on a bitterly cold afternoon in west London when Drogba was awarded a free-kick 30 yards from goal after being scythed down from behind. Andre Schurrle whipped a teasing cross into the penalty area, Cahill reacted quickest and applied a flick but the defender was unable to keep it down and it dropped over the top of the bar. Watford, who went into the game having won four of their last five league matches, had their first sight of goal a few minutes later, but Daniel Tozser’s snap shot from distance was straight at Petr Cech . There was an early scare for the Blues when Oscar, attempting to latch on to a lofted pass from deep, collided with Jonathan Bond in the Watford goal. After receiving treatment for a few minutes the Brazilian was back on his feet, and he produced a smart piece of play soon after when he picked up possession and exchanged passes with Schurrle on the edge of the box, only to see his left-footed drive charged down. It was the Blues making all of the running, but Watford’s 3-5-2 formation allowed their wing-backs - Juan Carlos Paredes and Daniel Pudil - to drop back in and help out defensively when we were in possession. As the half-hour mark approached, we went close to breaking the deadlock; Remy, who had switched flanks with Schurrle , supplied an inviting cross from wide on the right, and though Drogba rose highest and connected at the front post, Bond was equal to it and saved well down to his left. The Ivorian then showcased his physical prowess and technical excellence when he brought a lofted Mikel pass out of the sky and held off three defenders before laying it off to Remy, whose subsequent flick on was blasted over the bar by Schurrle . As the half wore on there were signs of frustration appearing, with Drogba visibly incensed after his shirt was almost ripped from his back. Cahill headed wide from a Filipe Luis corner three minutes before the break, while at the other end the visitors saw their best opportunity of the game so far go begging when Odion Ighalo took a Pudil pass in his stride and, with time on his side, blasted wide. SECOND HALF There was a double substitution for the Blues at the break, with Mourinho replacing Oscar and Schurrle with Diego Costa and Willian . The arrival of Diego Costa saw Drogba drop back into a slightly deeper role, but it was Watford who started the half the brighter and within nine minutes of the restart they came close to breaking the deadlock. Troy Deeney held off Mikel on the edge of the penalty area and as he fired across the face of goal the ball deflected off the foot of Filipe Luis and rolled inches wide of the far post. It was a warning sign, and the Blues responded in positive fashion, with Drogba seeing a left-footed drive from a tight angle saved by the feet of Bond. Two minutes later, though, the deadlock was broken in stunning fashion, with a move started and finished by the two substitutes. Diego Costa picked up the ball wide on the left and drove at the retreating Watford defenders, before laying it into the feet of Remy. The Frenchman nudged it on to Willian , who took one touch and dispatched a wonderful strike beyond Bond into the top corner. It was a goal of the highest quality, but more importantly one which had given us a crucial advantage in the game. The introduction of both Diego Costa and Willian had provided more urgency in our attacking play, and the former was involved once more as we extended our lead 11 minutes after going in front. Diego Costa rolled it into the feet of Drogba and took the return pass, only to see his strike blocked, but as the rebound fell for Remy, he produced a brilliant right-footed finish which gave Bond no chance. Clearly buoyed by the two goals, the Blues were quickly on the front foot, with Azpilicueta unfortunate not to get on the end of a Drogba pass inside the Watford box. A minute later, however, the Spaniard received a pass from Willian and supplied a teasing cross which was expertly headed into the back of the net by Zouma to make it 3-0. Watford, to their credit, refused to allow their heads to drop, and it took a brilliant save by Cech to deny substitute Matej Vydra as they looked to find a route back into the game. Our final substitution saw Nathan Ake replace the impressive Drogba 11 minutes from time, with the young Dutchman tucking in alongside Mikel. Diego Costa, whose contribution after coming on had been telling in terms of the eventual outcome of the game, then thumped the foot of the post with a free-kick as we were able to see out the final few minutes with minimum fuss. We now wait to see who we will face in the fourth round when the draw is made tomorrow. Chelsea (4-2-3-1): Cech ; Azpilicueta , Zouma , Cahill, Filipe Luis; Ramires , Mikel ; Schurrle (Willian h/t), Oscar ( Diego Costa h/t), Remy; Drogba (c) (Ake 79). Unused substitutes: Courtois , Ivanovic , Matic , Salah. Scorers Willian 58, Remy 69, Zouma 72 Watford (3-5-2): Bond; Hoban, Cathcart, Angella; Paredes, Munari (Murray 83), Tozser (Abdi 73), Forestieri, Pudil; Ighalo (Vydra 64), Deeney (c). Unused substitutes: Gilmartin, Doyley, Doherty, Smith. Booked Parades 25, Tozser 65 Referee Kevin Friend Crowd 41,010 You can watch the full 90 minutes of today’s game on Chelsea TV from midnight.
Posted on: Sun, 04 Jan 2015 20:20:48 +0000
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