Chelsea beat Watford to stay top

Published on: 01 December 2021

Mason Mount scored Chelsea's first goal and set up the winner

Chelsea retained their place at the top of the Premier League with a hard-earned win over Watford in a game that was halted for 32 minutes because of a medical emergency in the crowd.

Both sets of players left the pitch early in the first half while the fan, who had suffered cardiac arrest, was stabilised.

When they returned, Mason Mount gave the Blues the lead with a first-time finish at the end of a lovely move involving Marcos Alonso and Kai Havertz.

Watford equalised when Ruben Loftus-Cheek lost possession and Moussa Sissoko set up Emmanuel Dennis, who scored with a shot that deflected off Antonio Rudiger.

But having scored his side's first, Mount then set up the winner by providing the pass for substitute Hakim Ziyech to fire past Daniel Bachmann.

With Manchester City and Liverpool both winning, Chelsea's fifth straight away win meant they maintained their one-point lead at the top.

    Reaction from Watford v Chelsea, plus the rest of Wednesday's Premier League gamesMedical emergency in the crowd stops Watford-Chelsea game

Chelsea dig deep to stay top

In a bruising contest which featured seven yellow cards, Chelsea were a long way from their best.

But Thomas Tuchel's side found a way to secure a hard-fought three points and maintain their advantage at the summit.

Even before the game was stopped in the 12th minute, Watford twice went close. But then Mount - who had earlier hit the post - swept the visitors into the lead.

Dennis' fourth goal in five league games arrived shortly before half-time to lift the hosts, and it could have been even better for them.

Tom Cleverley found himself in a one-on-one with Edouard Mendy but slipped at the crucial moment after the Chelsea keeper came rushing out of his box.

It proved a costly miss as Ziyech, sent on after Trevoh Chalobah was injured, condemned Claudio Ranieri's side to a sixth defeat in eight league games.

Chelsea were disjointed for long periods after Tuchel made six changes to the side that started the 1-1 draw with Manchester United on Sunday, yet this could prove a vital three points.

Player of the match

HavertzKai Havertz

with an average of 8.16

    WatfordWatfordWatfordChelseaChelseaChelsea

WatfordAvgSquad number25Player nameDennisAverage rating

6.93

Squad number19Player nameSissokoAverage rating

6.53

Squad number7Player nameKingAverage rating

6.50

Squad number10Player nameJoão PedroAverage rating

6.24

Squad number5Player nameTroost-EkongAverage rating

6.20

Squad number8Player nameCleverleyAverage rating

6.18

Squad number15Player nameCathcartAverage rating

6.13

Squad number6Player nameLouzaAverage rating

6.11

Squad number21Player nameKiko FemeníaAverage rating

6.11

Squad number11Player nameMasinaAverage rating

6.00

Squad number3Player nameRoseAverage rating

5.85

Squad number26Player nameBachmannAverage rating

5.80

Squad number33Player nameKuckaAverage rating

5.59

Squad number2Player nameNgakiaAverage rating

5.44

ChelseaAvgSquad number29Player nameHavertzAverage rating

8.16

Squad number22Player nameZiyechAverage rating

7.26

Squad number19Player nameMountAverage rating

7.07

Squad number16Player nameMendyAverage rating

7.05

Squad number6Player nameThiago SilvaAverage rating

6.69

Squad number4Player nameChristensenAverage rating

6.68

Squad number9Player nameLukakuAverage rating

6.46

Squad number10Player namePulisicAverage rating

6.18

Squad number2Player nameRüdigerAverage rating

6.01

Squad number14Player nameChalobahAverage rating

5.99

Squad number28Player nameAzpilicuetaAverage rating

5.98

Squad number12Player nameLoftus-CheekAverage rating

5.92

Squad number3Player nameAlonsoAverage rating

5.50

Squad number17Player nameSaúlAverage rating

4.46

    Line-upsMatch StatsLive Text

Line-upsWatford

Formation 4-1-4-1

26Bachmann21Femenía5Troost-Ekong15Cathcart11Masina6Louza25Dennis8Cleverley19Sissoko10João Pedro7King

    26Bachmann21Femenía5Troost-EkongBooked at 45mins15Cathcart11MasinaSubstituted forRoseat 12'minutesBooked at 84mins6LouzaBooked at 45minsSubstituted forKuckaat 73'minutes25Dennis8CleverleyBooked at 84minsSubstituted forNgakiaat 85'minutes19Sissoko10João Pedro7King

Substitutes

    2Ngakia3Rose16Gosling17Fletcher18Tufan27Kabasele29Hernández33Kucka35Elliot

Chelsea

Formation 3-4-2-1

16Mendy14Chalobah4Christensen2Rüdiger28Azpilicueta12Loftus-Cheek17Saúl3Alonso19Mount10Pulisic29Havertz

    16Mendy14ChalobahSubstituted forZiyechat 60'minutesBooked at 65mins4Christensen2Rüdiger28AzpilicuetaSubstituted forLukakuat 69'minutes12Loftus-Cheek17SaúlBooked at 16minsSubstituted forThiago Silvaat 45'minutes3AlonsoBooked at 45mins19Mount10Pulisic29Havertz

Substitutes

    1Arrizabalaga5Jorginho6Thiago Silva9Lukaku11Werner18Barkley20Hudson-Odoi22Ziyech31Sarr

Referee:David CooteAttendance:20,388Match StatsHome TeamWatfordAway TeamChelseaPossessionHome50%Away50%ShotsHome13Away8Shots on TargetHome6Away4CornersHome6Away0FoulsHome18Away16Live TextPost update

Match ends, Watford 1, Chelsea 2.

90'+7'Full Time

Second Half ends, Watford 1, Chelsea 2.

90'+7'Post update

Corner, Watford. Conceded by Marcos Alonso.

90'+7'Post update

Attempt blocked. Kiko Femenía (Watford) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked.

90'+4'Post update

Ruben Loftus-Cheek (Chelsea) wins a free kick in the defensive half.

90'+4'Post update

Foul by William Troost-Ekong (Watford).

90'+3'Post update

Corner, Watford. Conceded by Édouard Mendy.

90'+3'Post update

Attempt saved. Juraj Kucka (Watford) right footed shot from outside the box is saved in the top centre of the goal.

90'+2'Post update

Foul by Christian Pulisic (Chelsea).

90'+2'Post update

Emmanuel Dennis (Watford) wins a free kick in the attacking half.

90'+2'Post update

Corner, Watford. Conceded by Marcos Alonso.

88'Post update

Corner, Watford. Conceded by Hakim Ziyech.

88'Post update

Attempt blocked. Juraj Kucka (Watford) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked. Assisted by Joshua King.

87'Post update

Ruben Loftus-Cheek (Chelsea) wins a free kick in the defensive half.

87'Post update

Foul by Jeremy Ngakia (Watford).

85'Substitution

Substitution, Watford. Jeremy Ngakia replaces Tom Cleverley.

84'Booking

Danny Rose (Watford) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.

84'Booking

Tom Cleverley (Watford) is shown the yellow card.

82'Post update

Attempt saved. Hakim Ziyech (Chelsea) header from the centre of the box is saved in the centre of the goal. Assisted by Kai Havertz with a cross.

78'Post update

Offside, Watford. Emmanuel Dennis tries a through ball, but Tom Cleverley is caught offside.

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Source: bbc.com

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