Chelsea v Watford: Premier League football betting preview, free tip & TV

Free football tips, best bets and analysis for Chelsea v Watford in the Premier League.

Where to watch

Sky Sports Premier League / Main Event, 8pm Saturday

Best bet

Chelsea-Chelsea double result
1pt 6-5 Coral

Team news

Chelsea
Fikayo Tomori could once again miss out as he continues to contend with a muscular injury.

Watford
Andre Gray, Nathaniel Chalobah and Domingos Quina will all be available again for the trip to Stamford Bridge after missing the Southampton defeat due to breaching social distancing regulations.

Match preview

Chelsea's defeat to West Ham on Wednesday blew open the race for the Premier League top four but the Blues can remain front-runners for a Champions League berth with a sharper performance against Watford.

The Blues were on course for a draw at the Olympic Stadium until a lightning break from West Ham in the 89th minute saw Andriy Yarmolenko strike the decisive goal in a 3-2 humdinger.

Chelsea had dominated up until that point, seeing 73 per cent of possession and winning the shot count 14-8, but defensive blunders and a slippery performance from Kepa Arrizabalaga brought an end to their five-match winning run in all competitions.

They have beaten Manchester City, Leicester City and Aston Villa since returning from the season's hiatus, results aided by the resurgence of attacking players Willian, Christian Pulisic and Olivier Giroud, and should be too hot to handle in the final third for Watford.

There has been little to no sting in the tail of the Hornets since mid-January, with the stunning yet anomalous 3-0 win over Liverpool their only victory in their last ten Premier League fixtures.

That form has dragged them back into the drop zone and their battle against relegation has not been helped by the recent absence of Andre Gray, Nathaniel Chalobah and Domingos Quina after the trio reportedly broke lockdown rules to attend Gray's birthday party.

Central to the team's demise have been issues in the final third, with Nigel Pearson's men managing only nine shots on target in their three matches since the Premier League resumed.

In the latest of those games against Southampton, they lost 3-1, hitting the target only once and the dynamism and spirit which lifted the team out of danger shortly after Pearson's arrival in December seems to have evaporated.

They have conceded the first goal in five of their previous six games, four of which they lost, suggesting it should be fairly straightforward for Chelsea to shut up shop if they can get in front.

Fortunately for the Blues, they have been relatively fast starters this term, breaking the deadlock in each of their last three fixtures and netting first-half goals in 28 of their 32 Premier League assignments.

They started strongly in the reverse fixture at Vicarage Road in November, leading 2-0 after 55 minutes and, despite conceding a penalty with ten minutes remaining, they held on to claim maximum points.

With that in mind, the best bet at Stamford Bridge could be a Chelsea-Chelsea double result at a shade of odds-against, a bet which has clicked in their last four home games against Man City, Everton, Liverpool and Tottenham.

Key stat

Chelsea have won five of their last six assignments in all competitions.

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