Chelsea vs Arsenal Callum Hudson-Odoi Chelsea EPL
Callum Hudson-Odoi Chelsea

Sitting at the top of the Premier League table, everyone expected Chelsea to comfortably beat Manchester United. But in the end, the Blues dropped two crucial points.

The 1-1 draw means Man City and Liverpool have moved even closer to the Blues which is why they will need to beat Watford in midweek to ensure that they do not lose the top spot.

Watford are currently 16th on the league table and have lost three out of their previous five matches so Tuchel’s side shouldn’t be making too big a deal of this encounter. This is a game they are expected to win comfortably.

Barring Sunday’s result, Chelsea have been in stellar form this season conceding only five goals in 13 Premier League games and this one should also be an easy win for them. The manager though is expected to heavily rotate his starting line up since the Blues will take on West Ham United next weekend and he will not be happy with any untimely injuries.

Chelsea team news and injuries vs Watford:

Thiago Silva has played started every game since the international break ended which means he’s going to be rested against Watford and even Trevoh Clahobah could also move to the bench.

N’Golo Kante missed Sunday’s game due to a knee injury and with matches coming thick and fast the manager will be reluctant to use him in midweek.

Ruben Loftus-Cheek paired up with Jorginho in central midfield vs Man United but the England international had a pretty average game(6.8 out of 10) which could lead to Ross Barkley taking his place in the side.

Ben Chilwell has a partial tear of his ACL so he will be on the sidelines for at least six more weeks. Marcos Alonso is the only other replacement in that left wing-back role.

The front-three could see a complete reshuffle as Romelu Lukaku is pushing for a start after coming off the bench against Manchester United.

Lukaku played around 10 minutes on Sunday and there’s a big chance that he finally get back into the starting line-up – leading from the front.

Kai Havertz has also shaken off his injury but the German is likely to remain on the bench with Hakim Ziyech and Hudson-Odoi also joining him.

Ziyech and Hudson-Odoi were outstanding in that 1-1 draw but with the West Ham United game coming up, there’s no need for the Chelsea boss to risk using both of them against a team like Watford.

We have a feeling that Timo Werner will start in a less advanced role since game time is the only way he will get his confidence back and Mason Mount is expected to return to the first XI as well.

Chelsea predicted line up vs Watford:

Predicted Starting Line up(3-4-2-1): Mendy; Christensen, Rudiger, Azpilicueta; Jorginho, Loftus-Cheek/Barkley, Alonso, Reece James; Mount/Pulisic, Ziyech/Werner; Lukaku.

Chelsea predicted line up vs Watford-2021

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