Watford will step out onto the pitch for the final time this season at Stamford Bridge this weekend, taking on Thomas Tuchel’s Chelsea on Sunday (May 22, 4pm KO).
A narrow 2-1 defeat at Vicarage Road at the start of December, which saw Emmanuel Dennis hit the target for the Hornets in a floodlit clash, marked the last meeting between the sides.
As we look ahead to the last outing of the Premier League campaign, here’s what has changed since the two sides last faced off…
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When the Blues took on Watford at The Vic in December they were top of the Premier League, and had lost just once after 14 games.
The west-London outfit avoided defeat in the league between January 18 and April 2, winning five on the bounce and drawing with Brighton & Hove Albion in six top-flight games.
A 4-1 loss to Brentford in early April was their first at home in all competitions since September, and Chelsea have won just once at Stamford Bridge since. They did register big wins on the road however, beating Southampton and Leeds United 6-0 and 3-0 respectively.
League Placement
Chelsea, awaiting a change in ownership, still have two games remaining, with Watford’s trip to the Bridge the final game of theirs and the Hornets’ campaign.
Facing Leicester City beforehand on Thursday (May 19), the Blues can confirm a top-four spot with a point from their final fixtures, and all-but secure third place with a draw given their superior goal difference to fourth-placed Tottenham Hotspur, who are two points behind having played one game more.
Wembley Woes
Highly successful runs in the Carabao Cup and Emirates FA Cup ultimately didn’t bear fruit for Chelsea. Tuchel’s side managed to reach the final of both English cup competitions this term, beating the likes of Tottenham, Aston Villa and Crystal Palace along the way.
For the third successive season the Blues missed out on FA Cup silverware in the final, and came up short in the Carabao Cup in February, losing on penalties to Liverpool on both occasions.
World Champions
Chelsea won’t end 2021/22 empty-handed, thanks to their Club World Cup glory. Qualifying as holders of the UEFA Champions League, the only English side in the competition won the Club World Cup in the United Arab Emirates when they beat an Al Hilal side featuring former Hornet Odion Ighalo, and Brazilian club Palmeiras in the final.
In the UEFA Champions League the holders came close to repeating last season’s success, before a tightly-contested 5-4 aggregate defeat against finalists Real Madrid in the last eight put an end to their hopes of back-to-back title wins.
