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Fabregas Deserves To Start – Find Out How The Chelsea Players Were Rated In Their 2-1 Win Over Watford

Chelsea

Chelsea made the trip to the Vicarage Road Stadium on Saturday afternoon to face Watford in the second game of the new campaign. The Blues had earned a hard fought win against the Hammers last time out and were hoping to put in a much better performance this time around. Despite that, the first half did not produce any goals for either side though there were some good chances for both teams to take the lead.

It was the home team that eventually took the lead in the second half when Etienne Capoue gave them the lead in the 55th minute. However, the west London outfit were not ready to give up and lose any points that easy. An inspired Cesc Fabregas substitute by manager Antonio Conte turned things around for the former Premier League champions.

It was summer signing Michy Batshuayi who equalized in the 80th minute and Diego Costa scored a late winner three minutes from full time, with the Spaniard claiming a brilliant assist. Conte did it once again, as his side were 2-1 winners on the night.

Player Ratings:

Thibaut Courtois: 5/10

Everything looked good for him in the first half, though once Capoue’s goal went in he did not look confident.

Cesar Azpilicueta: 7/10

Chelsea’s main threat on the left wing, as he pushed forward and defended well at the same time. Had a good understanding with his teammate Eden Hazard, when looking to attack.

John Terry: 7.5/10

The former England international looked good at the back and tried to break down the opposition attacks whenever possible.

Branislav Ivanovic: 5/10

Up against Holebas, who made a mockery of the Serb with his pace and was poor when he looked to attack as well. Conte will have to take a second look at his defensive line up.

Gary Cahill: 6/10

Not just Ivanovic, but Cahill too was poor in the match, though he looked impressive in his aerial clashes with Deeney.

N’golo Kante: 6.5/10

Looked good at the head of his team’s midfield, though was not as strong as some of the Watford mid-fielders at all times.

Pedro: 6/10

Holebas was strong against Pedro too. The former Barcelona man did make some good runs on the right hand side, but his efforts went in vain.

Nemanja Matic: 6.5/10

Played well while going forward, but could not impress as much as the opposition players and eventually did not make a huge impact on the game.

Eden Hazard: 9/10

Looked the best player for Chelsea on the pitch and a major threat to the opposition defence, creating some good chances during the second period. His long shot eventually helped his side earn the equalizer.

Oscar: 7.5/10

Uncomfortable playing as a No. 10 and looked much better on the right wing when he found empty spaces to run with the ball.

Diego Costa: 9.5/10

Strong right through the game and his persistence was rewarded towards the end of the match, as he beat Gomes to give his side all three points on the night.

Substitutes:

Cesc Fabregas: 8/10

Made the difference between the first half performance and the second half flourish since his arrival. Replaced Matic and played his part in Batshuayi’s goal, before claiming an assist for Costa’s winner.

Michy Batshuayi: 8.5/10

Came off the bench and scored for Chelsea, making it 1-1 and reviving their hopes once again. It was his goal that started the comeback.