Watford vs Chelsea: Why Vicarage Road clash is sure to be a Boxing Day cracker

Watford vs Chelsea: Why Vicarage Road clash is sure to be a Boxing Day cracker
Christmas has come and gone, and now’s the time for football fans to get excited.There is a huge fixture list this Boxing Day with 18 Premier League teams in action and matches running from 12:30pm until almost 10pm.We start the day in early afternoon with Wolves’ trip to Fulham, and the likes of Manchester United, Manchester City and Liverpool are all in action at the traditional 3pm kick-off time.2

It’s a festive feast of football this Boxing Day

Arsenal visit Brighton at 5:30pm, before one final fixture takes place in the evening.And that late match might just be the best of them all this Boxing Day.Watford host Chelsea at their Vicarage Road home in a 7:30pm kick-off, with the Hornets going for their third win in a row and the Blues hoping to recover from last week’s shock defeat to Leicester.

• Key talking points for the Premier League Boxing Day fixtures
• The best ever Premier League Boxing Day matches
• Boxing Day 1963: The day English football went mad

And, if recent history tells us anything, it is that this clash will certainly be one for the neutrals – though it will have Watford and Chelsea fans biting their nails down to the skin.The last four matches between Watford and Chelsea have seen 21 goals scored, a remarkable average of 5.25 goals per game!The Hornets have scored 10 of these goals, with Chelsea edging the total with 11 scored.

Goals galore when Watford and Chelsea meet

The last four matches between Watford and Chelsea have seen a remarkable 21 goals scored. But what were the scorelines in each of those matches?

• Watford 1-2 Chelsea (August 20, 2016)
• Chelsea 4-3 Watford (May 15, 2017)
• Chelsea 4-2 Watford (October 21, 2017)
• Watford 4-1 Chelsea (February 4, 2018)

Five of these goals were scored the last time these two teams met, which just happened to be, like today’s match, an evening kick-off at Vicarage Road.Chelsea, managed by Antonio Conte, were reduced to 10 men after half-an-hour due to Tiemoue Bakayoko’s dismissal, and they fell a goal behind when Troy Deeney converted a penalty just before half-time.The Blues appeared to have rescued a point with Eden Hazard equalising in the final 10 minutes, but Watford ran riot in the dying stages, scoring three times to rout Chelsea. Daryl Janmaat restored the Hornets’ lead before Gerard Deulofeu added a third, with Roberto Pereyra grabbing Watford’s fourth in injury time.The shock defeat of Chelsea was Javi Gracia’s first home match in charge of Watford, and it secured him his first victory as the Hertfordshire club’s manager.2

Gracia celebrated his first victory as Watford manager against Chelsea

Given the excellent work he has put in since then, Hornets fans are hopeful Gracia can make it two wins from two against Chelsea – with a win potentially moving Watford into the top six of the Premier League table at the halfway stage of the season.

---

What a goal from Dan James to give Swansea City the lead against Brentford. The Swans score twice in 4 minutes at the start of the second half and have turned things around. #FACup #SWABRE 2-1 pic
James just Dan-tastic for Swans - Herald.ie

---

Brazilian legend Cafu is hoping to hear 'Anfield roar' on Sunday as he watches Liverpool's potentially Premier League title deciding clash against Newcastle. Earlier in the week, Cafu tweeted: 'I

---

There will be blood in Manchester if Ole Gunnar Solskjaer isn't give the permanent Manchester United job at the end of the season, Olly Murs has told talkSPORT. The pop star and Old Trafford season ticket holder helped launch a new era of talkSPORT on Thursday after a jubilant night for the Red Devils in the Champions League.
~ Transfer news and football gossip: Liverpool in battle for

---

Arsenal manager Unai Emery has been fined £8,000 by The Football Association after kicking a bottle at a Brighton fan during the Premier League draw on Boxing Day.
Unai Emery fined £8,000 for kicking bottle towards Brighton

---

Home / Manchester United news: Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's appointment announced by Norwegian TV station with announced by Norwegian TV station with hilarious H.
Manchester United news: Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's appointment

---

Callum Hudson-Odoi has been offered a new long-term contract by Chelsea, as well as a place in Maurizio Sarri's first-team squad for the new season, according to reports. The 17-year-old,
Deal close!! Chelsea win as Callum Hudson-Odoi is close to

---

Bookmakers have dramatically slashed the odds on Ajax captain Matthijs de Ligt joining Liverpool this transfer window with his price tumbling from 20/1 to 4/1 in less than a day. The newly crowned
Odds slashed on Matthijs de Ligt to Liverpool transfer

---

But they were priced out of a move almost three years ago, leaving United unopposed. Barcelona Manchester United Paul Pogba. LaLiga midfielder with €100m clause ready to snub Man Utd for
Barcelona convinced Paul Pogba will not leave Man United this

---

Crystal Palace vs Manchester City: The Eagles can do a

---

David de Gea has made three errors leading to goals in his last four games in all competitions for Manchester United, as many as in his previous 123 matches for the club As Manchester United lined
Man Utd news: Ole Gunnar Solskjaer gives David De Gea and

---

Europa League 2019 final: Baku tickets, travel costs & all you need to know with Chelsea to play Arsenal in the final of the Europa League in Baku. Fans of each club have been given only
Arsenal return tickets for Europa League final as fans opt to

---

Cardiff City 2-3 Arsenal, RESULT: Alexandre Lacazette scores Gunners' winner having been twice pegged back. Arsenal record their second win of the season, beating Cardiff City 3-2

---

Charlton vs Sunderland: Kick-off time The League One Play-Off final will get underway at 3pm on Sunday, May 26. In the regular season, Sunderland won 2-1 at home thanks to Lynden Gooch's 90th-minute strike before it ended in a 1-1 draw at the Valley.

---