Chelsea V Watford Betting

Chelsea V Watford

Sunday 3^rd January – 15:00 GMT

Chelsea maybe struggling for some consistent displays of late but they really shouldn’t come across too many problems when they aim to dispatch Championship outfit, Watford, at Stamford Bridge this Sunday. Carlo Ancelotti couldn’t of wished for many easier ties than a draw with a fairly poor Watford side. The Hornets have been strapped for cash for some time now and their league position of 13^th is a fair reflection on how restricted the talent is at the club. Chelsea, however, are firm favourites to do the business in a competition where they are the actual favourites outright.

Chelsea

FA Cup Odds: 4/1 SkyBet

Chelsea put in yet another sluggish and below par display in their last outing. A 2-1 victory over a Fulham side that led for the best part of an hour. The Blues’ were sloppy on the ball, lethargic going forward and ridiculous at the back. The Chelsea in recent weeks doesn’t look a shade of the team that was steam rolling sides in the early part of the season and it appears even the great man himself hasn’t quite put his finger on what’s going wrong at the club.

Carlo Ancelotti must surely know that his defence is at sixes and sevens at present and quickly needs reinforcing. The January transfer market is about to open and it wouldn’t be at all surprising to see a fresh defender walk through the Stamford Bridge gates as their current crop simply haven’t made the cut of late, even their captain, John Terry, has been abysmal. In actual fact, Terry is where the root of the problem, with his usual high standard leadership ability going missing in recent weeks. Why that is we just don’t know but someone really does need to take that Chelsea defence by the scruff of the neck, although they should breeze through this encounter.  

Their defence is drawing a lot of attention but a clean, tidy performance at home to Watford, regardless of the standard of their Championship opponent, would be a step in the right direction ahead of what will be a difficult new year. Carlo Ancelotti has already had to wave goodbye to several of his African contingents; Didier Drogba, Michael Essien & Salomon Kalou the more notable departures, and we wouldn’t go as far as to say that Chelsea are down to their bare bones but the true strength of the club will be put to the test in the forthcoming month or so. In attack, especially, as Nicolas Anelka becomes Chelsea’s only recognised forward, although he has had a few niggling knocks of late and so Daniel Sturridge has had to step in, unconvincingly for us.

Writing a team off before a ball has even been kicked is always dangerous but Chelsea really should sail through this fixture and into the draw for the fourth round. The miserable and ungrateful Chelsea fans will, perhaps, remember their victory over the Hornets last season, beating Watford 3-1 at Vicarage Road in the Fifth Round, but Chelsea made the task a lot harder then it should have been and we expect nothing less than a convincing victory for the home side on Sunday.

Watford

FA Cup Odds: 500/1 BetFred

Watford fans must feel they are the unluckiest fans around as they draw Chelsea in the FA Cup for the second season running. They were soundly beaten come the end but did put up a battling fight in the opening exchanges of that encounter, and with Chelsea suffering a defensive crisis of late, a similarly good start could see Watford give Chelsea an early dose of the blues, although the inevitable defeat will come at some point.

The Hornets have been cash strapped for some time now and this has restricted the amount of talent at Vicarage Road. A stadium which once welcomed Chelsea on a more regular basis when Watford were flying their mast in the Premiership, albeit in a couple of short stints .Now, though, Watford are lucky to avoid relegation each season and the fans have pretty much got used to mid-table mediocrity nowadays. The ‘Yellow Army’ as the natives like to call them, are currently 13^th in the league table, nor bad nor good, but in what is expected to be a pretty dull season for them, a trip to Stamford Bridge will bring about a rare dose of excitement and enthusiasm for the loyal Watford fans.  

Watford are having a typical Watford season at present, with genuine form very rare indeed. The last time they recorded back-to-back wins in the league was early November, but that was just the second occasion they have reached such a feat this season. Their 2-2 draw at Bristol City via a late John Eustace header, meant Watford have drawn two on the bounce but, more importantly, are now without a win in their last four games. Their last win and only win in seven came at home to QPR, winning 3-1, but you have to stretch back to the middle of October, a 1-0 victory at Middlesborough, for Watford’s last away success, seven away outings ago.

Watford have a terrible away goal difference of 12-21 and considering that their opponents this season are quite some way off matching their FA Cup opponents, a Chelsea side top of the Premiership, then it doesn’t bode at all well for their chances heading into the capital. The Hornet’s, who don’t travel too well at the best of times, have failed to score in a third of their away games this season and another drab display in front of goal looks imminent in a contest Watford will be lucky to escape with a respectable score.

Match Verdict: Chelsea to WIN – 1.17 Coral

The only factor that may put punters off delving into Chelsea at such a terrible price is the fact that it’s an FA Cup fixture and that the romance of the cup does provide a few shocks every now and again. Sunday, at Stamford Bridge, should not be the setting for such a thing as Chelsea should stroll through this encounter with a Watford side who have struggled on their travels this season. Chelsea themselves haven’t been playing at all well but they’ve still been picking up points. Their defence hasn’t been up to scratch but a clean sheet, regardless of their ordinary opponents, would do them the world of good and we expect a tidy display from Chelsea as anything but would raise plenty of eyebrows.

Match Odds:

Chelsea – 1.17 Coral

Draw – 8.00 SkyBet

Watford – 23.00 SkyBet

SoccerBetting Value Tip: Chelsea to WIN to NIL – 1.50 BlueSquare