Watford vs Chelsea preview

Team news, key stats and prediction ahead of Watford vs Chelsea in the Premier League.

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Team news

Under-pressure Watford head coach Quique Sanchez Flores is still without Troy Deeney (knee). Isaac Success is returning to fitness after a groin problem, while midfielder Etienne Capoue (back) could be involved.

Ismaila Sarr, Danny Welbeck, Tom Cleverley and Domingos Quina are all out.

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Chelsea boss Frank Lampard has dismissed suggestions defender Antonio Rudiger is ready to return from injury after the player declared himself fit. Centre-back Rudiger has endured an injury-plagued start to the season and managed just one appearance under Lampard.

The 26-year-old Germany international, who underwent knee surgery during the summer before sustaining a pelvic problem, has been quoted as saying he was available to boost the Blues' options ahead of Saturday's game.

Blues midfielder N'Golo Kante is closing in on a return from a groin problem and Lampard is keen to have the influential pair back in contention, while Ross Barkley and Andreas Christensen are not far from a return.

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How to follow and watch

Watford vs Chelsea is live on Saturday Night Football from 5pm; kick-off 5.30pm. Sky Sports customers can watch in-game clips in the live match blog on the Sky Sports website and app. Highlights will also be published on the Sky Sports digital platforms and the Sky Sports Football YouTube channel shortly after the final whistle.

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Opta stats

• Watford have won just one of their last 11 Premier League meetings with Chelsea (D2 L8), winning 4-1 at Vicarage Road in February 2018.
• Chelsea won this exact fixture 2-1 last season - they've never managed to win consecutive away games against Watford in the top-flight.
• Watford are winless in their 10 Premier League games this season (D5 L5), scoring fewer goals than any other side (5). They've never failed to win any of their opening 11 games to any league campaign before, while the last side to do so in the Premier League were QPR in 2012-13.
• Chelsea have won their last four away Premier League games, netting at least three goals each time. In top-flight history, only Everton have won five consecutive away games while netting 3+ goals each time, doing so back in December 1927 en route to winning the league title.
• Chelsea have won 16 of their last 20 Premier League games against sides starting the day bottom of the table (L4), with their last such defeat coming at Crystal Palace in October 2017 - it was the Eagles' first victory that campaign.
• Watford are winless in their last 14 league games (D6 L8) - only between November 1971-April 1972 have they gone longer without a win in their league history (19 games).

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Charlie Nicholas' prediction

I have to hold my hands up and say 'wow' at Chelsea. A batch of youngsters are playing superbly and the balance is spot on, even without N'Golo Kante.

If Tammy Abraham doesn't score, you have Christian Pulisic, then you have Callum Hudson-Odoi and Willian back in decent form too. They are really good to watch - the Roman Abramovich vision has been waiting to get to this sort of style.

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They have won the Premier League a number of times as well as the Champions League, but this is a whole new experience for them.

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I said it had the potential to be a roller coaster at Burnley, but they keep rolling teams over. How can you go against Chelsea at the moment, just because of the way they go about their business?

By all accounts, Watford sounded like they were great for the first 20 and awful for the last 70 minutes against Bournemouth. Abdoulaye Doucoure and Gerard Deulofeu must get into these games. I keep getting the Chelsea games wrong, but if I go for them here, I may end up regretting it again, but my, they are good to watch.

CHARLIE PREDICTS: 2-2 (14/1 with Sky Bet)

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