Chapter 1: What were the key moments in Chelsea's comeback against Watford?
With 20 minutes to go, the champions Chelsea were 2-1 down at Watford. Batshuayi come off the bench, he got his first Premier League goal of the season. Then Cesar Azpilicueta got his first since he played Watford last season. The champions in front. And then Batshuayi made sure of all three points for Antonio Conte's side with his second of the afternoon. What a reply from the champions.
Let's hear from Batshuayi and Azpilicueta, both now with Greg Whelan. César Michy, very well done. César, you left it very late.
Yeah, we left it very late and we had to dig in until the last minute, but we showed a great spirit, even if it wasn't our best game, but we got an important win for our confidence. We were after three games without winning, so I think it's important for a team to get back to winning ways. Did you fear when Watford went ahead in the second half?
Was there a feeling that this game might be getting away from you?
Well, I think we started really well, we were 1-0 up, we had chances to score the second, the last kick of the first half in a throw-in we conceded a goal, then obviously the confidence is a bit lower, we conceded a second goal, but even though we showed great spirit, we didn't give up, and at the end we got the three points that, as I said before, is a big win for us.
Michy, the manager's decision to put you on a substitute changed the game. How pleased were you to be able to show him what you could do?
I don't understand.
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Chapter 2: How did Michy Batshuayi impact the game after coming off the bench?
The manager has made some changes.
Yes, but it's a difficult moment for me. But I stay focused every day, every time, training hard, play hard. Today is good. I'm coming on the pitch and I say my job, I score two goals, is good for the team, to three points. That's it.
What did the manager, what did Antonio Conte ask you to do when you went on the pitch?
Nothing. No message from him at all? No, only to take over every ball fight. Good spirit, only this.
Two goals, part of a very important win. How pleased are you to have helped Chelsea in this position?
Yes, I'm very happy. Today, to take three points in a difficult moment, but it's good for the team. Now, stay focused for next year.
Cesar, just how much did you need this result today? Much, I think. As I said before, we were three games without winning. Even here at home, we had difficult games. We were not able to win. So it's important to get back in the Premier League, to win, to step up. And then we know that it's a long season. We will have ups and downs. Now we had a difficult period, but...
This is the first step to get out and to get the confidence up. Well, gentlemen, very well done. Michy, you're also the Premier League man of the match. Cezar, if you did the honours, please.
Well done, guys.
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Chapter 3: What challenges did Chelsea face after going 2-1 down?
Six of them in the end. 14 attempts from Chelsea to Watford's 16. That is the second most by an away side here at Stamford Bridge. Second only to Manchester City. Underlines just what an effort Marco Silva's side put in. Five on target to Chelsea's eight. Distance covered. Nothing to split the two teams. But in the end, Alan, two goals to split the two teams.
When you look at Chelsea's performance today, It will be a sense of great relief. Well, you just have to say that, you know, the subs that come off the bench and the manager did a good job second half because they was in a big hole. And Watford looked like this game should have been buried for them. If it was Silva, you'd be very disappointed to get nothing out of the game.
But the subs changed it. And William as well, that's where he was, just picked up the man of the match as a sub. That was a massive little fillip for the manager as well. We'll get confidence from that, putting subs on and they make a massive impact like that. Before we look back on their second half in detail, how will Watford reflect on today? Alan's nailed it.
I think they'll be so disappointed. They had big moments in that game to win it, to put it to bed really. 3-1 and you could see the atmosphere would have completely changed. As soon as Richarlison misses that header, you could see that it gave them a lift. The manager made good substitutions. But you've got to credit Chelsea as well because they've had a huge Champions League night on Wednesday.
not a lot of time to turn it around and get some freshness back in their legs, but they show great character. Anyone thinking about is Conte, the players not playing for him? Of course they are. They're right at it. You know, they need a little bit of luck. Don't get me wrong. They had to suffer, but that's huge for their confidence. It really is.
And we talk about confidence so often in football. Batshuayi comes on, makes a big difference. Zappacosta as well, the right back, right wing back, but... Big result. Don't underestimate how big this result is for Chelsea.
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Chapter 4: What did the players say about their performance post-match?
They needed it badly. 1-1 it was at half-time. Only three minutes into the second half. You already alluded to some of those misses. One falls to Richarlison, 48th minute of the game. Alan Smith in commentary called it the miss of the season. How would you describe it?
Well, there was a feature at the start of the second half, the two wing-backs to Chelsea, and the back three looked all over the place, making poor decisions. He ends up in the middle of the goal with no-one on him, and Alonso recovering, he just takes his eye off it in the last moments. Again, the wing-backs are high as they're messing about in the midfield here. And it comes out.
Bacchiaro, who's meant to be the secure midfield player, makes a mistake. They're right through the middle. Gary Cahill runs across. And be fair to the young boy, Jamie. I mean, he's had that miss. And Richarlison is cool enough... 54 seconds between that miss and this. And he's cool enough to actually put that to one side, that miss, and make that pass. Brilliant. He's a player, isn't he, Al?
Yeah, Al. I mean, he is a unique talent. He's raw. Raw as you like, in fact. I mean, there are times when it drives the manager mad, but he's capable, especially when you've missed an opportunity like that, to so quickly get your head right again and to make that pass.
When everyone else normally in the box, they maybe have a shot because they're so desperate to make amends for what they've just done. He's an interesting player. He's a young man with a big future. Like, yes, he made some mistakes, but... He's got something so special about him, and I think with the right manager, which he has here, he can go right to the top, that boy.
And just a little cap on Pereira's finish, because it was a great finish. Great finish. And we were just saying, when he went off, it was a big impact on Watford, because he was playing very, very well. Absolutely.
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Chapter 5: How did Chelsea's substitutions change the dynamics of the game?
54th minute. Richarlison has another chance. This to potentially take the game away from Chelsea. Game over.
think this is game over this is the big moment in the game if he scores here and I mentioned before the game he is normally very good in the air he's a big lad but I just think he his eyes are wide open he thinks this is my chance you know to make amends for what I've done and I just think he tries to head it too hard I was just you know just take the pace out of it
I mean, there's a coaching point. You've just got to let that hit your head. All the pace is on the ball. But he's trying to sort of do a Royal of the Rovers, smash it in the top corner and hurt him for a while. Yeah, so many people don't have a Royal of the Rovers. But we both said it, Alan. We looked at it and Alan, as a manager, he went, that could be the game right there.
But Michy Batshuayi comes on and gets it all square. In terms of centre-forward movement for a player who some would say would be lacking in confidence, didn't show at all, did it? and it was nice to see him at the end pointing at his head, because he's just been left out for this game. You know, he didn't play very well, and he's come on in this game, and he's shown a really good mentality.
Now, this is centre-forward play. When you're a centre-half, don't switch off, because the striker isn't going to, and they're just a little bit sleepy, gets across both of them, And that is a very clever header. Exactly the opposite of what Richarlison done. The pace is on the ball. It's a great ball. I think it's Pedro who puts it in. And he just steers it right in the corner. Fantastic goal.
Doesn't look the finish of a man lacking confidence, does it? Brilliant header. But he's an instinctive player. Sometimes when it looks easy for him, he makes mistakes, but that ball, as it comes across, it's a great header. It really is. I think Alan's done a great job describing it. It just takes the pace out and just flicks it into the corner. It's unstoppable. And that's what you needed.
Did he get man of the match as well? And rightly so. He changed the game. He sort of handed over. Cesar Azpilicueta, who handed him the man of the match, gets what we thought at the time was going to be the winner. How does he get it? Well, I think this is the big moment in the game. This is where Alan mentioned it.
Pirillo comes off, and you can see there, Bakayoko runs into the box off of Carrillo, and I think he doesn't do well enough. He's got to go and mark him, because for me, then it has to tuck in, and what he doesn't do is see Azpilicueta at the back post. They're jobs you have to do as a midfield player. If he tracks him, Bakayoko probably doesn't even run into the box.
He might even stop at the halfway line, and it's a brilliant... Brilliant header. It really is. It's a difficult one. It has a little flick. But I think that goal is because Bakayoko runs into the box. Carrillo, if I'm the manager there, I'd be furious with him because he's got to do a job. He's got to mark him. It's as simple as that.
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Chapter 6: What was Watford's strategy during the match and how did it unfold?
He showed that kind of rawness, and it all come down his side, Chelsea's best attacks. But when he has the ball at his feet, He just drifts past people. He drew fouls, he got in situations, and the reason the manager's backing him, like he did at the end of that interview, was to say, I know I've got a special talent here. He hasn't had the greatest of afternoons.
I mean, these misses, as we know, change the game. But, I mean, that pass, Jamie, after the miss... I have to be very careful when I say this. I'm not what people are like. They'll start to say that I'm comparing him to Ronaldo or saying he's better than him. I'm just giving you an example.
I remember playing against Ronaldo when he first came to the league and he was a bit of a, I would say to a certain extent, laughing stock. People said he's always falling over, show pony, step up. But when you played against him and Alan Manners, you knew as a player, this guy is another level.
knew that what he was going to come now he has the capability or he the little things that he does are a little bit like a young Ronaldo I'm not saying he could be as good as him but he does special things on the ball that only a few people can do he drifts past people there's a little bit of petulance in his game still but if the manager can sort of polish that diamond that's there you can have a super talent and I mean it because I remember seeing Ronaldo and I'm everyone was slaughtering him and just bought this guy is so special he
He's got the lot, hasn't he, this kid? But it's just the little bits that he needs to polish. The thing that Ronaldo had, he's obviously a great technical player, but the work rate behind all of that was to improve. Now, if this lad can improve on that technical ability, his defensive work, his knowledge... Yeah, but Ronaldo didn't have it when he first came out.
That's what I'm saying.
Just picking up on what Jamie said there, polishing this diamond. As a manager, how do you go about doing that? Still only 20. I'd be sitting in front of the video on Monday and talking to him in the nicest possible way over a nice hot cup of tea and he'll have a nice juice and say you've got an incredible talent son, let's get it all right and you'll be a big star here.
Less than 20 minutes to go and Antonio Conte and Chelsea were trailing Watford by two goals to one. The substitute of Batshuayi worked a treat, he scored two. Azpilicueta got a goal as well and the champions took all three points. Delight for the boss, let's hear from him now with Greg Whelan. Antonio, congratulations. Give us your assessment of your team's performance overall today.
I think our performance was a good performance because it's not simple to go before to concede the draw in the last minute of the first half and then to go down in the first part of the second half. I think in that moment our confidence was... Yeah, it was low, but my players showed me great desire, great will to fight, to change the situation, to change the final result.
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