Chelsea, coming off a score draw with Manchester United yesterday, remain top of the table as they head to Watford FC for a midweek Premier League clash.
It’s festive period fixture congestion, in full effect, so let’s take a look at the team news for both sides, starting with the visiting Blues.
Chelsea at Watford FC FYIs
Kickoff: Wed Dec. 1, Vicarage Road, 7:30pm
Chelsea Starting XI Prediction: go here
Premier League Preview Pod: go here
PL Position, Form Guide: Chelsea 1st, 30pts, DWDWW Watford 16th, 13 pts, LWLLW
Google Result Probability: Chelsea win 72% Draw 18% Watford win 10%
Coming off a stalemate with United, the southwest London side will continue to be without the services of three star men: N’Golo Kante, Mateo Kovacic and Ben Chilwell.
Meanwhile the big Belgian, Romelu Lukaku, should be angling for a first team assignment here, after coming off the bench against United.
Shifting over to the Hornets, or the Moose Men as we call them (in reference to the team crest), their latest fitness concern is first choice goalkeeper Ben Foster, who missed the loss at Leicester City due to a groin strain.
He joins fellow Moose Men Nicolas N’Koulou, Peter Etebo, Kwadwo Baah, Ismaila Sarr, Ken Sema and Francisco Sierralta on the injured list.
Prediction: Chelsea 2, Watford 0
Look for Big Rom to get on the score sheet here, at least once, as Lukaku will lead the Blues to a road victory at a side that could find themselves in the relegation zone soon.
Paul M. Banks is the owner/manager of The Bank (TheSportsBank.Net) and author of “Transatlantic Passage: How the English Premier League Redefined Soccer in America,” as well as “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry.”
He has regularly appeared in WGN, Sports Illustrated and the Chicago Tribune, and co-hosts the After Extra Time podcast. Follow him on Twitter and Instagram.