Frank Lampard admits that Chelsea is in dire need of a Van Dijk-like figure to improve at set-pieces.
He noted that when Liverpool signed defender Virgil van Dijk, there was a direct rise in improvement in set-plays. That, in turn, reflected on Chelsea’s most underrated weakness – dead ball situations.
“We’ve looked at set-plays this season. When we came into the club, we looked at the stats from last season and we were bottom of the league in defending set-plays, in terms of other teams getting big chances against us, we were second-bottom in attacking,” said Lampard before Saturday’s PL fixture with Watford.
“If you look at personnel, and I don’t like to talk about my playing days, but we didn’t really work so much on set-pieces at all really – with certain managers more than others. There were probably a few reasons why and they were mainly John Terry, Gary Cahill, Didier Drogba, Michael Ballack and [Branislav] Ivanovic, so you stick it in an area and they defend it or they score goals.
“I think similarly with Liverpool, there was a lot of talk about them with set-pieces two or three seasons ago, they were zonal, they were conceding a lot.
“They signed Virgil van Dijk and he heads everything that comes in the box out, so there’s a huge relation to personnel and if you don’t have that in terms of big size across the team, I think trying to compete as hard as you can, making it difficult for other teams to score is the main thing.
Lampard realised that Chelsea also might need to look for someone like Virgil van Dijk.
“And there’s no doubt – I’m not making excuses when I say that because we’ve not done this well enough on the pitch, and that has to improve – when you look at who you might bring in, with the balance of the squad, in the modern day its certainly something to take into account when looking at recruitment.”
Frank Lampard believes that Chelsea winger Willian hands down deserves a new contract with the Blues.
The club is in discussion with Willian about reaching an agreement over a new contract, according to Lampard. The fact that Willian is over 30 proves how valuable a player he is to Chelsea, seeing as that most footballers over 30 aren’t given new contracts.
“I haven’t given up hope on it, the club are still in discussions with him,” said Lampard.
“We want him to stay at the club but I also appreciate the fact this contract for Willian is a big deal because of his age and where he’s at, I’ve been there before myself and I respect that.
“But the way he’s playing at the minute I think shows his worth to the squad and the group. It’s something I hope we can get to.
“Whatever way [it goes] with Willian, he’s been a great servant to the club and if we can get it I’ll be happy, if not I’ll wish him well because I’ve got a lot of time for him as a player and in the short term we can see what he’s doing for us. It’s ongoing is the short answer.”
Billy Gilmour has revealed what it was like to enter the Chelsea first-team training the first time around.
It was back under Maurizio Sarri that Gilmour was allowed a few times to train with the first team players and the young Scottish midfielder was in awe of playing with the likes of Eden Hazard and Cesc Fabregas.
“Cesc Fabregas was still there when I did two or three sessions with the first team and that was amazing because all the time growing up I had watched him, Andres Iniesta and Xavi.
“The first time I was a bit star-struck, thinking: ‘this is Cesc Fabregas, Eden Hazard.’ It was a bit surreal. It was amazing to even train with those sort of players, top professionals.
“You just sort of go over, say good morning, shake their hand and then after the session, I’d phone my dad… ‘I was training with Cesc Fabregas and Hazard!’ It was like being a kid again!”
Fabregas is a personal idol of Gilmour and it must have been a moment of great excitement for Gilmour back then. The young player has a cool head on his shoulder, much like Cesc and has very quickly realised which part of his game he needs to master on.
“I’m not going to grow much more and being small, and not the biggest, it means I have to be technically really good, especially knowing where I am on the pitch and not getting into physical battles,” he added.
What will be the Chelsea predicted line up vs Watford? Chelsea predicted line up vs Watford in Premier League? Who will be in the Chelsea predicted starting 11? Here is the Chelsea vs Watford predicted line up and the starting XI for Chelsea today at Stamford Bridge! Watch & bet!
Chelsea Predicted Line Up vs Watford
Chelsea players vs Watford will be tricky to tell. Lampard has shown that he has trust in youngsters but he still does not have a set of players that he favours. Injuries, loss in form and consistency always work against a player’s chances of getting picked. The Blues boss is ready to mix up the squad and hence Chelsea predicted line up cannot be easily guessed.
Chelsea Predicted line up vs Watford
Looking for the Chelsea Predicted line up vs Watford? Here is the Chelsea Predicted line up vs Watford:
Expected Chelsea lineup vs Watford: 4-3-3
Predicted Starting XI for Chelsea today vs Watford
Looking for the predicted starting XI for Chelsea today vs Watford? Here is the expected starting XI for Chelsea today vs Watford:
Chelsea Predicted Line Up – Defence
In goal, we can expect Kepa to continue. In the back four, Cesar Azpilicueta should be starting again on the right while Emerson replaces Marcos Alonso on the left. Kurt Zouma and Antonio Rudiger should pair up in the middle since Tomori is injured and Christensen was poor against West Ham.
Chelsea Predicted Line Up – Midfield
A three-man midfield with Mason Mount, Jorginho and N’Golo Kante should start since Matteo Kovacic picked up an injury. Ruben Loftus-Cheek can also start on the flanks upfront while Pedro is kept on the bench.
Chelsea Predicted Line Up – Attack
Olivier Giroud is in contention to start over Tammy Abraham since the latter started disappointed against the Hammers. Lampard is starting to trust Giroud more in league games. Christian Pulisic is also likely to start on the left flank with Willian on the right. Callum Hudson-Odoi can get a look in from the bench.
Chelsea vs Man City Predicted line up & Match preview
Chelsea take on Watford in the Premier League clash on Sunday night. The Blues take on Watford in the league match with Watford not having done well in domestic competitions this season.
Here we will give you an answer on the most frequently asked question about Chelsea – Watford.
Chelsea – Watford match arena: London Stadium in England. Chelsea – Watford fixture date: Sunday, 5 July 2020. Chelsea – Watford start and kick-off time: 20:00 (CET).
Recent Form
The Blues have been largely inconsistent this season to a point where their top-four position has come under threat. They were on a winning run of four games before West Ham knocked them down at the London Stadium.
Watford did not manage the best restart to football, collecting a point out of the three games but they did hold Leicester to a 1-1 draw. They were also the ones to break Liverpool’s unbeaten streak with a 3-0 win. Can they do the same against another top four side?
Head to Head
This is the H2H – head-to-head stats between Chelsea vs Watford –
Games won:
20
Games drawn:
06
Games lost:
10
Tonight’s match is the 37th meeting between Watford and Chelsea. The Blues have won 20 games while Watford managed 10 wins for themselves and the other 6 ended as draws.
Chelsea vs Watford Prediction, Betting Tips and Match Preview
Chelsea vs Watford predictiontoday for Sunday’s Premier League match at Stamford Bridge. The Blues will be hosting Watford in the 33rd game day of the 2019/20 English Premier League season. Read on for all our Chelsea vs Watford prediction and free betting tips.
Match Date, Time And Kick-Off
The Chelsea vs Watford match date and kick-off time is set. Chelsea vs Watford Chelsea fixture is on Sunday, 5 July 2020 and game kick-off time is 20:00 (CET) at Stamford Bridge.
Game Date: Sunday, 5 July 2020 Kick-off Time: 20:00 (CET) Stadium: Stamford Bridge, England
Chelsea vs Watford Betting Odds (1X2)
Chelsea vs Watford betting odds today – who will win according to the betting odds?
Given their performances this season, it’s not hard to see why the Hornets are the price they are. Nigel Pierson is the third person to manage them this season and has only managed to get them to out of the bottom spot. They still have a difficult road ahead in maintaining their Premier League status and will find it hard at8.75 with Unibet.
Chelsea were once again stumped by West Ham United this week after they hit a four-game winning run. It clearly showed how lower table sides can still easily break that vulnerable defence line. 1.44 with Unibet
Speaking of quality, this will be an opportunity for Tammy Abraham to back to his scoring form. He has racked up 13 goals in 28 Premier League games this season and has been handed odds of 4.25 with bet365to score the first goal.
Chelsea vs Watford Form
Watford face Chelsea at Stamford Bridge on Sunday evening. Both teams need the win for different reasons, with the Hornets looking to save themselves from relegation this season.
Chelsea Form
The Blues have been largely inconsistent this season to a point where their top-four position has come under threat. They were on a winning run of four games before West Ham knocked them down at the London Stadium.
Chelsea Form: WWWWL
Watford Form
Watford did not manage the best restart to football, collecting a point out of the three games but they did hold Leicester to a 1-1 draw. They were also the ones to break Liverpool’s unbeaten streak with a 3-0 win. Can they do the same against another top four side?
Watford Form: WLDLL
Chelsea vs Watford Head To Head (H2H)
Games won:
20
Games drawn:
06
Games lost:
10
Tonight’s match is the 37th meeting between Watford and Chelsea. The Blues have won 20 games while Watford managed 10 wins for themselves and the other 6 ended as draws.
Emerson Palmieri and Kurt Zouma could be fitted into the backline after a poor defensive performance against West Ham United. Jorginho could also be reintroduced into starting lineup after Matteo Kovacic picked up a knock on Wednesday night.
Mason Mount and Olivier Giroud could get the nod over Ross Barkley and Tammy Abraham while Christian Pulisic maintains his spot up front. Hudson-Odoi is in contention to make an appearance off the bench.
As for the visitors, Nigel Peirson is likely to maintain his usual starting lineup. Danny Welbeck is fit but could be kept on the bench once again.
Chelsea vs Watford Live Stream, Betting, TV And Team News
Chelsea vs Watford live stream, betting, TV, preview and team news? How to watch Chelsea Watford live stream free? Where to watch Chelsea Watford stream?
Where to streamWatford – Chelsea games live online? Here you can find the info about how to stream Watford-Chelsea live online here!
How to watch Chelsea vs Watford game on TV?
Watch Watford – Chelsea’s games via live streaming online on the internet? Unibet and bet365offer stream and bets on the best European football from many different European Leagues via live streaming but no games from the English Premier League. Here we will give you all info about stream, betting, tv and team news for Chelsea Watford online!. Watch & bet!
Chelsea vs Watford Live Stream, Betting, TV & Team news
Chelsea Watford stream? When is the next game between Watford and Chelsea 2020? Chelsea Watford live stream free? Here you find everything about Watford and Chelsea in the English Premier League 2020. Many are looking for where to stream Chelsea Watford Premier League games. We will give you all the info regarding Chelsea vs Watford live stream down below.
Chelsea vs Watford odds winner – (1 x 2) – who will win according to the odds?
Chelsea vs Watford will be played at the Stamford Bridge on Sunday, 5 July 2020 at 20:00 (CET)
This is one of the best games of this Premier League. The scenes from the Stamford Bridge will be very good and no one knows who is going to win. Will it be Watford or Chelsea who will score the most number of goals?
Chelsea vs Watford Latest Team News
Emerson Palmieri and Kurt Zouma could be fitted into the backline after a poor defensive performance against West Ham United. Jorginho could also be reintroduced into starting lineup after Matteo Kovacic picked up a knock on Wednesday night.
Mason Mount and Olivier Giroud could get the nod over Ross Barkley and Tammy Abraham while Christian Pulisic maintains his spot up front. Hudson-Odoi is in contention to make an appearance off the bench.
As for the visitors, Nigel Peirson is likely to maintain his usual starting lineup. Danny Welbeck is fit but could be kept on the bench once again.
Who will win the Watford – Chelsea fixture? Are you look at bet on this game? There are several markets that might interesting. For example, a win for Chelsea has odds of 1.40 since they are the clear favourites? What are the best odds on Watford and how high are the odds in over 2.5 goals? Here we give you all the info –
If you think about put a bet on Watford or Chelsea there are several good promotions. Especially Unibetand bet365! Combine the best betting offers from Unibet and bet365 to get the most from your betting.
Chelsea vs Watford Live Stream – Head to Head Stats & Previous Match Results
This is the H2H – head-to-head stats between Chelsea vs Watford –
Games won:
20
Games drawn:
06
Games lost:
10
Tonight’s match is the 37th meeting between Watford and Chelsea. The Blues have won 20 games while Watford managed 10 wins for themselves and the other 6 ended as draws.
Here are the last 5 games played between these two Premier League sides –
21 Oct 2017
Chelsea v Watford
W
4-2
Premier League
05 Feb 2018
Watford v Chelsea
L
4-1
Premier League
26 Dec 2018
Watford v Chelsea
W
1-2
Premier League
05 May 2019
Chelsea v Watford
W
3-0
Premier League
02 Nov 2019
Watford v Chelsea
W
1-2
Premier League
Chelsea Recent Games 2019/20 Season
08 Mar 2020
Chelsea v Everton
W
4-0
Premier League
21 Jun 2020
Aston Villa v Chelsea
W
1-2
Premier League
25 Jun 2020
Chelsea v Manchester City
W
2-1
Premier League
28 Jun 2020
Leicester City v Chelsea
W
0-1
FA Cup
01 Jul 2020
West Ham United v Chelsea
L
3-2
Premier League
Watford Recent Games 2019/20 Season
29 Feb 2020
Watford v Liverpool
W
3-0
Premier League
07 Mar 2020
Crystal Palace v Watford
L
1-0
Premier League
20 Jun 2020
Watford v Leicester City
D
1-1
Premier League
25 Jun 2020
Burnley v Watford
L
1-0
Premier League
28 Jun 2020
Watford v Southampton
L
1-3
Premier League
Watford – Chelsea Key stats
Watford are only a point above the relegation zone with 6 league wins to their name this season.
Chelsea have the second-worst defensive record in the top 10 with 44 goals conceded.
Watch the Watford vs Chelsea live stream free & game on TV?
Where to watchWatford – Chelsea match onTV? Watford – Chelsea on TV for free? Watford-Chelsea live stream free online?
Preview Chelsea vs Watford – Game Facts
Here we will give you answer on the most frequently asked question about Watford – Chelsea.
Watford – Chelsea match arena
Where will Watford – Chelsea English Premier League be played? Watford – Chelsea will be played at the Stamford Bridge in England.
Watford – Chelsea game date
When is the game? When will Watford – Chelsea be played in Premier League? Watford – Chelsea will be played Sunday, 5 July 2020.
Watford – Chelsea game Kick-off time
What time does the game start? What time is Watford – Chelsea? Watford – Chelsea will start at 20:00 (CET).
How to watch the Premier League on TV and live stream
When it comes to Premier League live streaming It’s up to the provider in every English on how they want to show it. When it comes to Premier League TV Channels it’s often the same providers as the streaming service. The broadcasters list is long and there is always somewhere to watch the games.
Chelsea vs Watford Head To Head record and results? Frank Lampard has worked well to get this side in line but the project is nowhere close to complete. After a statement win against Manchester City, Chelsea fell to a 3-2 defeat against West Ham United on Wednesday night. It wasn’t their worst performance but exposed exactly where they are weak at. Going up against a relegation-riddled Watford side will be tough, especially at this time of the season. Who will be able to collect all three points?
We now look at the Chelsea vs Watford head to headstats and results between the Hornetsand the Blues. Chelsea vs Watford head to head and resultssince the year 1992 can indicate which of the teams has had the upper hand since the Premier League began. Well, we will soon find out when the teams face off.
Chelsea vs Watford Head To Head: Record And Results 2020
Ahead of Sunday’s clash between Watford and Chelsea, we look at the matches the two teams have recently played –
Games won:
20
Games drawn:
06
Games lost:
10
Tonight’s match is the 37th meeting between Watford and Chelsea. The Blues have won 20 games while Watford managed 10 wins for themselves and the other 6 ended as draws.
Chelsea: Recently Played Matches Results
Here is a list of games Chelsea have played this season –
08 Mar 2020
Chelsea v Everton
W
4-0
Premier League
21 Jun 2020
Aston Villa v Chelsea
W
1-2
Premier League
25 Jun 2020
Chelsea v Manchester City
W
2-1
Premier League
28 Jun 2020
Leicester City v Chelsea
W
0-1
FA Cup
01 Jul 2020
West Ham United v Chelsea
L
3-2
Premier League
Watford: Recently Played Matches Results
Here is a list of games Watford have played this season –
29 Feb 2020
Watford v Liverpool
W
3-0
Premier League
07 Mar 2020
Crystal Palace v Watford
L
1-0
Premier League
20 Jun 2020
Watford v Leicester City
D
1-1
Premier League
25 Jun 2020
Burnley v Watford
L
1-0
Premier League
28 Jun 2020
Watford v Southampton
L
1-3
Premier League
Chelsea vs Watford Head To Head Record & Results Since 1992
Chelsea vs Watford Head To Head since 1992, 2010? Head To Head since 1992 and 2010 English Premier League? Here is a full list of Chelsea vs Watford Head To Head results since 1992 in the English Premier League.
18 Sep 1999
Watford v Chelsea
L
1-0
Premier League
26 Feb 2000
Chelsea v Watford
W
2-1
Premier League
03 Jan 2004
Watford v Chelsea
D
2-2
FA Cup
14 Jan 2004
Chelsea v Watford
W
4-0
FA Cup
11 Nov 2006
Chelsea v Watford
W
4-0
Premier League
31 Mar 2007
Watford v Chelsea
W
0-1
Premier League
14 Feb 2009
Watford v Chelsea
W
1-3
FA Cup
03 Jan 2010
Chelsea v Watford
W
5-0
FA Cup
04 Jan 2015
Chelsea v Watford
W
3-0
FA Cup
26 Dec 2015
Chelsea v Watford
D
2-2
Premier League
03 Feb 2016
Watford v Chelsea
D
0-0
Premier League
20 Aug 2016
Watford v Chelsea
W
1-2
Premier League
15 May 2017
Chelsea v Watford
W
4-3
Premier League
21 Oct 2017
Chelsea v Watford
W
4-2
Premier League
05 Feb 2018
Watford v Chelsea
L
4-1
Premier League
26 Dec 2018
Watford v Chelsea
W
1-2
Premier League
05 May 2019
Chelsea v Watford
W
3-0
Premier League
02 Nov 2019
Watford v Chelsea
W
1-2
Premier League
Chelsea vs Watford Head To Head Record & Results Before 1992
14 Mar 1970
Chelsea v Watford
W
5-1
FA Cup
22 Sep 1979
Chelsea v Watford
W
2-0
League Division Two
09 Feb 1980
Watford v Chelsea
W
2-3
League Division Two
27 Sep 1980
Watford v Chelsea
W
2-3
League Division Two
21 Feb 1981
Chelsea v Watford
L
0-1
League Division Two
12 Sep 1981
Chelsea v Watford
L
1-3
League Division Two
06 Feb 1982
Watford v Chelsea
L
1-0
League Division Two
13 Oct 1984
Chelsea v Watford
L
2-3
League Division One
16 Mar 1985
Watford v Chelsea
W
1-3
League Division One
28 Sep 1985
Watford v Chelsea
L
3-1
League Division One
05 May 1986
Chelsea v Watford
L
1-5
League Division One
01 Nov 1986
Chelsea v Watford
D
0-0
League Division One
01 Feb 1987
Watford v Chelsea
L
1-0
FA Cup
14 Apr 1987
Watford v Chelsea
L
3-1
League Division One
26 Sep 1987
Watford v Chelsea
W
0-3
League Division One
29 Mar 1988
Chelsea v Watford
D
1-1
League Division One
05 Nov 1988
Watford v Chelsea
W
1-2
League Division Two
11 Mar 1989
Chelsea v Watford
D
2-2
League Division Two
Read more about Watford, Chelsea and Premier League –
Ashley Cole has countered talks of Timo Werner signing ruining Tammy Abraham’s development.
The former Chelsea defender believes it will actually be beneficial to Abraham that there is another person challenging to his spot.
Before Werner’s arrival, Abraham was practically unchallenged as Chelsea’s starting forward. Olivier Giroud is 33 now while Michy Batshuayi was ridiculously poor when given the chance to prove himself. Now, Frank Lampard has two great attacking outlets in Abraham and Werner, both with different strengths.
It will be interesting to see how the Blues boss integrates both into the side but many predict that Tammy’s position is in danger. Cole believes otherwise. When asked if the German forward will push Abraham towards his best, Cole replied, “I hope so.
“To have competition is healthy and they [Chelsea FC] won’t be so reliant on Tammy and [Olivier] Giroud now. I’ve never been in that position but when you get top players in, you learn from them. That’s important. He will develop and get better and have a little more hunger to play. I don’t think it will harm him. Hopefully, it will make him a better player.”
Competitions breed success and that holds true for the majority of the cases. But Abraham missing games could work against him. At 23, he is still developing his craft while Werner will be flying it with elite finishing abilities already under his belt.
Chelsea have contacted the representatives of Sergej Milinkovic-Savic over a potential summer move.
Frank Lampard had shortlisted the Lazio midfielder since he first arrived at Chelsea but he needed to make other squad improvements first.
Following the arrivals of Timo Werner and Hakim Ziyech, the Blues are not stopping in the transfer market with deals likely underway for Kai Havertz, Milinkovic-Savic and a number of other prominent names. However, is this Serbian maestro really a necessary signing?
Chelsea have an overflowing midfield with the likes of Jorginho, N’Golo Kante, Ruben Loftus-Cheek, Mason Mount, Matteo Kovacic and Billy Gilmour. The only way Milinkovic-Savic will fit into that lineup if one player was to leave. There have been talks of Maurizio Sarri sweeping up Jorginho once again in the player’s career but Juventus have just signed Arthur Melo.
Lampard’s has already set his intentions from the very first day he took over at Chelsea – turn them into title-challengers again. He realizes that the current squad simply won’t do against the likes of Liverpool and Manchester City. That means, adding more talents such as Milinkovic-Savic who could secure a midfield for years at end.
Manchester United wanted him previously but could not cough up his £100m asking price then. With the worldwide pandemic affecting several clubs, Milinkovic-Savic’s price should have dropped significantly. Chelsea also have a former connection with his agent, Mateja Kezman who represented the London side years ago.
Chelsea are reportedly interested in signing Real Madrid back up goalkeeper Alphonso Areola.
Chelsea’s number one Kepa Arrizabalaga has been on a horrendous form for the last 12 months. It was exacted in the match against West Ham United where Kepa conceded 3 goals from 3 shots on target and this was not even his worst night on the pitch.
Kepa has been extremely substandard and it has been on the transfer rumor mill that Lampard is looking for a replacement. There were talks of Chelsea signing the likes of Andre Onana and Gianaluigi Donnarumma.
However, a new addition to the list has been the name of Alphonse Areola.
The PSG star is currently on loan at Real Madrid but has been firmly kept as a back up goalkeeper to former Chelsea star Thibaut Courtois who is the current number one at Madrid.
Areola has no place back in Paris either who will be looking to sell him to make room for their FFP adjustments. Moreover, the goalkeeper will get to start at Chelsea, so he might be interested in a move.
The French World Cup winner has been back up for far too long and at the age of 27, he might want to start making some adjustments to his playing career – Chelsea can be a good start.
