Analysis: Watford

Javi Gracia set his Watford team up in a 4-4-2 formation that took on the form of a 4-2-4 in attack, with Roberto Pereyra and Ken Sema playing as wide attackers alongside central strikers Troy Deeney and Gerard Deulofeu. Etienne Capoue and Abdoulaye Doucoure tended to play deeper in central areas, which also allowed Kiko Femenia and Jose Holebas to advance forwards from full-back.

The hosts looked to send direct balls from deep to Deeney, who would contest the aerial ball and try to direct his header to a teammate. Another strategy was to try to exploit wide areas; this became more of a focus in the second half, when Watford had a slightly firmer hold on the game and the relationship between full-back, wide midfielder and near-side central midfielder was crucial in trying to combine around the Chelsea full-backs. A third strategy was to utilise the counter-attack; they would often try to combine this with a switch of play, often regaining the ball on the right and releasing the dangerous Pereyra on the left.

Out of possession, Watford utilised a 4-4-2 mid-block and would only really look to press in their own half. In the Chelsea half, the hosts would initiate a press only from a goal-kick or if they were close to a Chelsea player who played a short pass backwards or sideways. The issue with the press was that several Watford players joined in – but this left them exposed in other areas further from the ball, which could then be exploited should Chelsea break the press.

In the mid-block phases, Watford had a clear plan to try to discourage Chelsea playmaker Jorginho from getting on the ball. When the ball was central, Deeney and Deulofeu would stay within three or four yards of him either side; Doucoure and Capoue would also keep a close vertical distance, but they also had to be able to affect the other Chelsea midfielders, Mateo Kovacic and N’Golo Kante. When the ball went wide, the nearest centre forward would go out to engage along with the wide midfielder on that side, while the second striker would move in centrally to mark Jorginho.

Further back, one of the two Watford centre-backs – mostly Craig Cathcart – would try to drop with Eden Hazard when he dropped into attacking midfield areas. But this left the home side susceptible to runs from deep, and the fluid movement and rotation throughout the Chelsea side proved a constant threat. It was from one such Hazard movement that the Belgian won the penalty from which he won the game for the visitors.