Chelsea will entertain Watford at Stamford Bridge on Sunday afternoon looking to get a win which would consolidate their position in the top 4. The Pensioners will come into this clash on the back of a 1-1 draw away at Eintracht Frankfurt.
Maurizio Sarri needs to ensure that his players do not get complacent as the Hornets can be a dangerous team on the counter. The Chelsea boss should opt for a 4-3-3 formation and might bring Eden Hazard back to his first-team for this weekend’s Premier League encounter.
4-3-3 Chelsea Predicted Lineup To Face Watford
Defence
Kepa Arrizabalaga will operate as Sarri’s first-choice keeper on Sunday afternoon despite failing to keep a clean sheet against Eintracht Frankfurt in midweek. The centre-back pair of Andreas Christensen and David Luiz will support the Spanish goalie as they try to keep things solid at the heart of the Pensioners backline. Cesar Azpilicueta will lineup as the right-back while Emerson Palmieri looks to cause a few problems for the Hornets defenders down the left flank.
Marcos Alonso has been horrendous defensively over the past few months which is why he is expected to be benched once again this weekend. Chelsea cannot afford to drop any more points, so they need to find a way to win to ensure a top 4 place at the end of this campaign.
Midfield
The West London outfit’s midfield could see the likes of Ruben Loftus-Cheek, Jorginho and Matteo Kovacic trying to retain possession in midfield and create some decent opportunities going forward. N’Golo Kante began the match versus Frankfurt in midweek so he might be rested for this game as Sarri would want to keep him fresh for the UEFA Europa League second leg against the Bundesliga side next week.
If the Pensioners can find a way to dominate the midfield, then they should have enough firepower up top to claim a win versus Javi Gracia’s men.
Attack
Sarri’s frontline would be comprised of Eden Hazard and Pedro operating as the wide men on the flanks while Gonzalo Higuain spearheads the home side’s attack as a centre-forward up top. The Argentine talent has flattered to deceive with his performances at Stamford Bridge thus far, so he needs to put in a much-improved shift if he intends to find the back of the net on Sunday.
Olivier Giroud will be available on the bench and might come on during the encounter if needed.
