Chelsea vs. Watford Match Analysis

Chelsea came into this match, Guus Hiddink’s first as interim manager, needing a win to stay relevant in the European race. Watford was on a four game winning streak, including a 3-0 win over Liverpool. Despite sitting just a point off the Europa League, they were getting no credit, mainly because of Leicester’s phenomenal season. Watford came in with a point to prove, that they were able to tangle with the best teams in the league.

Lineups

Eden Hazard started the game on the bench, due to the hip injury he picked up the previous Monday at Leicester. Otherwise Chelsea lined up much the same as they had under Jose Mourinho, dispelling some hopes that Hiddink would incorporate young players immediately.

Watford set up in the normal 4-4-2, similar to how Arrigo Sacchi’s Milan teams used to play. They were very compact, forcing Chelsea to attack through the wings, and the midfield pressed when the Blues tried to advance down the middle, shutting down the central passing lanes.

Deeny and Ighalo played as twin strikers, with Deeny dropping into the space between lines to facilitate attacks. Ighalo, on the other hand, pushed Terry and Cahill backwards with his runs in behind, opening room for Deeny, Watson and Capoue to operate.

Chelsea Play Down the Right, Fullbacks Push High

The vast majority of Chelsea’s attacking play in the first half came down the right. Without Hazard on the left demanding possession, the offense naturally shifted towards Willian, one of the few Chelsea players playing well this season.

Willian and Oscar dominated possession, playing off each other  mostly in the right halfspace. This left both Fabregas and Pedro out of play; Pedro had just 49 touches, compared to Oscar’s 60 and Willian’s 77.

Fabregas was also notably absent, never making an offensive impact and leaving the defense exposed on numerous occasions. Hiddink took him off at half time for John Obi Mikel, but you could say that the disappointing performance wasn’t his fault. He simply didn’t have enough of the ball, a rather important factor for a ball-dominant playmaker.

The attacking 3 of Chelsea’s midfield played narrow, as they always do, with both Willian and Pedro dropping inside to operate in the halfspaces more than on the wings. This left open space on the wings, which Ivanovic and Azpilicueta pushed into.

You can see in the above photo that even waiting for the second half to start, Azpilicueta and Ivanovic are pushing high, not keeping a flat line with Terry and Cahill. While this helped start Chelsea’s offense by creating overlaps, it left the two central defenders isolated.

In the video, the left wing is wide open, with Pedro tucking inside. This gives Azpilicueta space to run into. The overlap creates a chance, but no one is in the box to get on the end of his cross.

When Hazard came on in the second half, play shifted to be more balanced. There was still plenty of room for Azpilicueta to get forward, but Hazard held more of the ball, testing Watford’s right. It was one of his trademark in-cutting runs that drew the penalty that *should have* won Chelsea the game.

Watford Take Advantage of Isolated Centerbacks

Watford’s compact 4-4-2 played into Chelsea’s strategy of overlapping fullbacks, by forcing the ball out onto the wings and halfspaces. But the two striker front line also demolished Terry and Cahill, isolated and often playing much higher than they were comfortable with.

Arrigo Sacchi’s great Milan team also used two strikers, the fantastic duo Marco Van Basten and Ruud Gullit. Gullit often dropped behind Basten, transforming the 4-4-2 into a 4-4-1-1. Gullit would play more of a creating role, while Basten would act as a traditional number nine, running in behind and fighting with the center backs.

Deeny and Ighalo mirrored those roles against Chelsea. Deeny played as Gullit did, dropping off the front line and into the space between lines. This allowed him to track back better, keeping Watford defensively stout, and to pick up the ball and create an attack.

Ighalo pushed the center backs towards their own goal with his runs behind. This separated them even more from the high fullbacks, leaving Chelsea open and vulnerable.

Double Pivot Fails to Protect

Chelsea’s double pivot did little to abate the pressure. Fabregas was habitually drawn out of position, leaving Matic alone to contend with Deeny, Capoue and Watson. Matic as well often foolishly pressed hard, leaving tons of open space in front of Cahill and Terry.

Hiddink sought to solve the problem by bringing on John Obi Mikel for Fabregas at halftime. But Mikel didn’t solve the problems. He strayed out of position just as much as Fabregas did, and failed to provide the offense that Fabregas could have.

The constant midfield problems Chelsea have faced this season raises the question of dropping the pivot. The combination of midfielders hasn’t helped: Fabregas-Matic, Fabregas-Mikel, Mikel-Matic and Matic-Ramires have all been too porous.

This game showed how the lack of midfield strength kills Chelsea’s backline. Watford exploited the open space time and again to create chances.

Conclusion

Watford left happy, having proven that they can contend with the top teams in the league, on the road. Quique Sanchez Flores set his side up brilliantly, and the players executed the game plan well.

Chelsea, on the other hand, will be very disappointed. Although Costa scored two goals, signaling a possible return of good form for him, Oscar missed a potential game winning penalty in the 80^th minute, and the overall performance was shaky. They dropped two points at home, two points they couldn’t afford to lose, and didn’t even look very confident doing it. It is clear that Hiddink still has his work cut out for him.