Four goals in the final 10 minutes saw Watford earn a 4-1 win against Chelsea in a gripping match at Vicarage Road on Monday night.
The Blues were responsible for just one of those goals, as Eden Hazard struck to cancel out Troy Deeney's first-half penalty.
Having been a man to the good since the half-hour mark following Tiemoue Bakayoko's dismissal, the Hornets stepped things up late on and added to their tally through Daryl Janmaat, Gerard Deulofeu and Roberto Pereyra to earn the points.
Relive how the 90 minutes of action unfolded with Sports Mole's live text coverage below.
Hello and welcome to Sports Mole's live text coverage of the Premier League meeting between Watford and Chelsea at Vicarage Road. The defending champions, who slipped to a shock 3-0 home loss to Bournemouth last time out and have just two wins to their name in eight outings this calendar year, find themselves one point ahead of fifth-placed Tottenham Hotspur heading into this match.
The hosts have also struggled to find form of late, with their poor run stretching back as far as late November. Marco Silva has since been replaced by Javi Gracia in the Hornets' dugout, however, and the new man in charge is seeking a first win in the job at the third time of asking. Plenty to get through before kickoff at 8pm, so let us get stuck right in by checking out some confirmed team new...
WATFORD TEAM NEWS!
STARTING XI: Karnezis; Mariappa, Prodl, Holebas; Janmaat, Doucoure, Capoue, Zeegelaar; Deulofeu, Deeney, Richarlison
SUBS: Bachmann, Mukena, Ndong, Pereyra, Lukebakio, Carrillo, Gray
Starting with a look at the home side, new boss Gracia has made two changes to the side that earned a goalless draw away at Stoke City last time out. Daryl Janmaat and Marvin Zeegelaar are brought back into the fold, taking over from Christian Kabasele and Tom Cleverley, both of whom are struggling with hamstring injuries. The Hornets will therefore start with a back three this evening.
A change of formation, then, but the front three remains the same as Troy Deeney, Gerard Deulofeu and Richarlison are given a chance to build up their connection. Deulofeu is at Vicarage Road on loan from Barcelona for the remainder of the season, providing that little extra spark in the final third that was once the job of Richarlison. The Brazilian, though, has no goals and just one assist in his last 12 outings.
Deulofeu is getting up to speed in his new surroundings, and we could also see fellow January recruits Didier Ndong - back from a three-match ban carried over from his time at Sunderland - and Dodi Lukebakio, as they are among the Hornets' subs this evening. There is also a place on the bench for Under-23s defender Joy Mukena, who has never previously featured in the senior squad.
CHELSEA TEAM NEWS!
STARTING XI: Courtois; Azpilicueta, David Luiz, Cahill; Moses, Bakayoko, Kante, Zappacosta; Willian, Hazard, Pedro
SUBS: Caballero, Rudiger, Emerson, Drinkwater, Fabregas, Hudson-Odoi, Giroud
The big news as far as Chelsea are concerned is that David Luiz makes his first Premier League start since October, while Davide Zappacosta is also used at wing-back as Marcos Alonso and Andreas Christensen miss out on selection. As rumoured 24 hours ago, Ross Barkley is also absent from the matchday squad after suffering an injury in training this week - the eighth Blues player to be ruled out via a hamstring problem this term.
Antonio Conte has selected fit-again forward Willian alongside Eden Hazard and Pedro up top, with Alvaro Morata still absent with what was thought to be a minor back injury. Olivier Giroud is now in contention for the Blues, having arrived on a £15m deal from Arsenal last week, but Conte has decided to go with no recognised striker once again for this short trip to Hertfordshire.
Giroud is among the subs and will surely make his debut from the bench, though, and that could also be the case for fellow January signing Emerson Palmieri. Chelsea's central midfield is comprised of Tiemoue Bakayoko and N'Golo Kante, meanwhile, and Victor Moses retains his spot at right wing-back. The inclusion of Luiz at centre-back is the big talking point, partnering up with Gary Cahill and Cesar Azpilicueta.
There is a first Premier League start since October for Chelsea defender David Luiz, who replaces injured centre-back Andreas Christensen in the heart of defence, while Davide Zappacosta fills in for the absent Marcos Alonso. In terms of Watford, they show two changes from last time out - Daryl Janmaat and Marvin Zeegelaar replacing injured duo Christian Kabasele and Tom Cleverley.
Watford head into this match sitting 11th in the Premier League, four points off the top half but just three above the relegation zone. The Hornets made their joint-best start to a top-flight campaign by collecting 21 points from their opening 13 fixtures, leaving them behind just a handful of teams in the division, but they have since dropped at an alarming pace to their current position.
It is looking increasingly more likely that Watford will have a relegation battle on their hands, rather than spending the final throes of the season jostling for position in the top half. Marco Silva paid for his side's shocking form by losing his job a couple of weeks ago, and his successor Javi Gracia is now tasked with providing some stability - a word that is not used all that often around these parts!
Gracia arrives boasting experience from spells with a number of clubs, most recently with Malaga in the Spanish top flight and Russian club Rubin Kazan. The Hornets are no strangers to bringing in relatively-unknown managerial figures, largely with mixed success. Retaining their top-flight status since earning promotion a few yeas back has not been a problem; successfully pushing on the following season has been.
Since his appointment on January 21 - the day Silva was sacked - Gracia has seen his side lose to Southampton in the FA Cup and hold Stoke City to a 0-0 draw last time out in the Premier League. The point at the bet365 Stadium was not the worst result, but this is now a tough match to follow-up with, ahead of a trip to West Ham United and successive home games against Everton and West Bromwich Albion. Points need to be put on the board as soon as possible.
Make no mistake about it, though - six points from a possible 36 since the end of November is relegation form. Watford have dropped 16 points from winning positions this term, which is the most in the division, seemingly unable to see games through when edging in front. Gracia will now the magnitude of the task his side face this evening, though it must be remembered that Chelsea are hardly flying at this moment in time.
The Hornets' blip over the last few months has coincided with Richarlison's poor return in front of goal - or should that be the other way around?! A combined one goal and assist from his last 12 Premier League matches is incredibly disappointing compared to his return early in the season, when lighting up Vicarage Road and earning links with a move to the division's elite clubs. How the Hornets could do with him stepping things up tonight.
Watford also hold claim to the worst home form in the top flight, with 13 points from their 12 Vicarage Road games to date this term and a goal difference of minus nine. They most recently drew 2-2 against Southampton here, earning a point through a controversial last-minute leveller that would prove to be the final piece of action Silva would see here - he was sacked after one more game.
PREVIOUS MEETINGS! Chelsea are unbeaten in their 13 meetings with Watford in all competitions since a 1-0 Premier League loss in September 1999. The sides played out a 4-3 thriller at Stamford Bridge at the tail end of last season - that match also being played on a Monday night - and the Blues recovered from being pegged back at 2-2 to win 4-2 when they met in the reverse fixture four months ago.
Thirteen goals have been scored in the last two meetings between Watford and Chelsea, seven of which came when they faced off at Stamford Bridge in May last year. That game was seen as a celebration of sorts for the Blues, who had already sealed the title by that point, but the mood is a lot different nine months on as the champions occupy fourth place.
The Blues are a point in front of Tottenham and five clear of Arsenal, though they do have this game in hand still to play on both sides. Come out on top here, which they are favourites to do, and they are back above Liverpool in third place. Defeat or a draw, though, and the pressure will only continue to mount on Conte ahead of a huge set of fixtures over the next few weeks at home and in Europe.
Chelsea's title defence is not as bad as their last one, when finishing down in 10th place, but residing in fourth place after 25 matches is now what supporters would have envisaged after cantering to the title with a record number of wins in 2016-17. Conte is quite clearly unsettled at Stamford Bridge, which was even the case when cruising to the top-flight crown last time around, and this situation looks as though it will end just one way.
Conte has made clear that he intends to see out the remaining 18 months of his existing deal, which he only signed in July - in other words, he wants a big-money payoff when owner Roman Abramovich does eventually pull the trigger, whether that be in the summer of possible before. The Italian has pointed out that he has been unable to bring in a top-tier player over the last year - arguably Alvaro Morata aside - which he believes has cost his side their title.
These are half-truths, though, because Conte did bring in the aforementioned Morata from Real Madrid for a substantial sum, and six or seven other players also arrived in the summer. Add to that the addition of Ross Barkley, Olivier Giroud and Emerson Palmieri last month, accounting for a combined £48m or so, and Abramovich may feel that Conte has had the backing he needed. The truth, as ever, lies somewhere in between.
Chelsea scraped through in the FA Cup third round with a penalty win against Norwich City in a replay, before overcoming Newcastle United in round four. That competition has taken on added significance for Conte, as his side are also out of the EFL Cup - London rivals Arsenal seeing to that a couple of weeks ago - and face Barcelona in the first knockout stage of the Champions League.
Finishing in the top four and adding a domestic honour to the collection would usually be enough, but Abramovich has built up a reputation over the last decade for his ruthless nature. Even winning the holy grail that is the Champions League failed to keep Roberto di Matteo in the job for too long, remember! Conte must start winning games quickly if he is to stay on, beginning with this trip to Hertfordshire.
Following this clash with Watford, Chelsea have three-successive home games against West Bromwich Albion, Hull City and Barcelona in the Premier League, FA Cup and Champions League respectively. Each one of those is massive for different reasons, particularly the European showdown, and by this time next month the picture could look a lot clearer as far as the Italian's future is concerned.
That run is followed up by two more high-profile fixtures, as Chelsea travel to Manchester United and Manchester City in back-to-back league games. First comes Watford, though, and the Blues head into this match with 50 points to their name after 25 matches - 10 fewer than at the same stage 12 months ago when en route to the title. Just two wins from nine matches in 2018 is simply not good enough; a record that will cost Conte his job if it stretches much further.
The most recent of their defeats came at home to Bournemouth last week, losing 3-0 in what is arguably the nadir of Conte's time in charge, fresh on the back of their EFL Cup semi-final defeat to Arsenal. In the Premier League, it is just one win in four - a 4-0 victory at Brighton & Hove Albion - meaning that they are currently far more concerned about finishing fourth than chasing down Manchester United in second.
DID YOU KNOW? Chelsea have scored a Premier League-high 13 headed goals so far this season, with the absent Alvaro Morata responsible for the majority of those. Olivier Giroud is poised to make his debut from the bench tonight, and he has netted an unrivalled 27 goals via his bonce since arriving in the Premier League with Arsenal in August 2012.
With kickoff now just a couple of minutes away at Vicarage Road, let us check out some pre-match thoughts from both camps.
Javi Gracia: "I'm excited. I'm looking forward to it and I'm going to make sure I enjoy it. I always prepare a match like we'll win. When I'm in the office and I move the players, I win. It's my attitude and I'm positive. I'm always stressed and I don't mind what anyone else thinks. I always want to win and it is always the same pressure. It doesn't matter what club we play against."
Antonio Conte: "From the start of this season there has been a lot of speculation and rumours around me. The only thing I can tell you now is I still have 18 months of my contract with Chelsea and my will, my desire, is to stay here, continue my work. This is my will. I don't see problems about this. If I see there is no pressure, it's no good for me or the players. I like to live with this pressure."
KICKOFF! Watford get us up and running in this final Premier League fixture of the weekend. Chelsea have won five-consecutive games that they have played on a Monday night, including last season's meeting with the Hornets.
Confirmation that Luiz is in the middle of Chelsea's three-man backline, as he was for the vast majority of last season, with Cahill and Azpilicueta alongside him. Good closing down from Deulofeu forces an error out of Courtois.
Small penalty shout for Watford as the ball bounces around in the box and hits Cahill on the arm. Referee Mike Dean, who has seen his peers come under the spotlight over the course of this matchday, was right to wave play on.
A dreadful pass from Bakayoko, who has not really taken off since arriving at Chelsea, almost lets Deulofeu in. The Spaniard could not quite bring it under control, though, and Courtois was there to pick up the loose ball.
SHOT! A good spell of pressure form Watford, culminating in Abdoulaye Doucoure, the Hornets' leading scorer in the Premier League this term with seven, dragging a shot wide of goal. Deulofeu looking very lively, as he blasts the ball into the side-netting.
Good defending from Luiz, it must be said, as he forced Deulofeu into a wide position. The angle was against the Spaniard when he blasted the ball into the side-netting, which three quarters of the ground thought had just crept past Courtois.
CHANCE! Big chance for home skipper Troy Deeney to open the scoring for an impressive Watford side. A corner was not dealt with and the striker was free five yards out, only to miscue his volley completely wide of the target.
SHOT! Like Deeney before him, Chelsea forward Willian fails to make the most of a presentable opportunity. The ball fell loose inside the box following some good play from Moses, but the Brazilian blasted his shot high and wide.
Watford have been the better side in the opening 17 minutes of the match. Richarlison and Deulofeu are looking very lively, pushing high up the pitch and forcing mistakes aplenty out of the Blues' shaken stars. Still goalless, though.
Richarlison again picks up a loose ball and charges at the Chelsea backline, only for his powerful shot to be blocked aside in front of goal. Now nearly a quarter of the way through this contest and it is the Hornets who have looked the livelier.
This back three is working well for the hosts so far, with Chelsea - themselves fielding a hybrid 4-3-3 formation - struggling to get to grips. Gracia will be the happier of the two managers on the basis of what we have seen so far.
Cesar Azpilicueta cuts a frustrated figure as, after looking up three or four times, he admits defeat and plays the ball sideways. The versatile defender had a great partnership with Alvaro Morata prior to the striker's injury layoff.
YELLOW CARD! Bakayoko is having a shocker, giving away possession for the third or fourth time already and then conceding a free kick in an attempt to get the ball back. Watford's pressing is causing the Blues plenty of problems.
A couple more corners for Watford comes to little, with Courtois able to punch the second of them clear. No major chances of note at either end yet, though Troy Deeney did squander a decent-enough opportunity a little earlier.
Moses illegally controls the ball with his arm, knocking it into the path of Pedro to clip against the post. The whistle had already been blown for that earlier infringement, however, ending what was a rare attacking move from the visitors.
RED CARD! Bakayoko's time in English football has yet to take off, and this has been his worst display to date. The midfielder, booked for that challenge on Capoue a few minutes ago, lets the ball get away from him and catches the foot of Richarlison for a second yellow.
Referees so often let a second infringement pass before a little warning to the guilty party, but Bakayoko was clearly not so lucky. Difficult to see how Chelsea could be any worse with him on the field, anyway, so perhaps Conte will change things slightly.
CHELSEA SUBSTITUTE! Willian is the man to be sacrificed following that Bakayoko dismissal. No complaints from the Brazilian, who is clearly not fully over the injury that has kept him out, and Fabregas will now shore up the centre of the park.
SAVE! Straightforward stop for Courtois to make, getting down to keep out Richarlison's drive following a quick one-two with Doucoure. Watford the side closing in on the opening goal of the evening, boosted by that Bakayoko red.
Half time is fast closing in at Vicarage Road and we await the first goal. Chelsea, with new signing Olivier Giroud on the bench, have created little so far, while Watford have been lively but also barely tested Courtois between the sticks.
Richarlison and Deulofeu should start causing Chelsea's stretched defence plenty of problems as this game transpires. They have been key with their pressing so far, and will surely fancy their chances against their 10-man opponents.
GOAL! WATFORD 1-0 CHELSEA (TROY DEENEY, PEN)
Watford take a deserved lead right on the brink of half time through Troy Deeney, who held his nerve to blast the ball past Courtois from the penalty spot. Mike Dean pointed to the spot after Deulofeu used his pace to latch on to a through-ball and go to ground under a challenge from Courtois.
The Blues have struggled badly in the opening 45 minutes of this contest, even with a full complement of players. Debate to be had over the nature of the penalty, but replays certainly seem to suggest that Courtois made contact with Deeney.
HALF TIME: WATFORD 1-0 CHELSEA
Pedro blasts the ball over the bar at the end of a swift break from the final act of the first half. Another disappointing half of football for Chelsea, who are looking at another defeat after going down to 10 men and then conceding from a penalty.
Watford made two changes from their last outing and the shift to a three-man defence appeared to catch Chelsea out, as the Hornets dominated the first-half proceedings prior to opening the scoring. Abdoulaye Doucoure dragged a shot wide and the lively Gerard Deulofeu picked out the side-netting in the early stages of his first home outing for the club.
Chances then came and went at either side in quick succession, with Deeney getting his close-range volley all wrong when unmarked from a corner, before Willian blasted high and wide from a promising position. Then came a key moment in the game with half an hour played, as referee Mike Dean showed a second yellow card to Tiemoue Bakayoko - five minutes after his first - following a slightly late challenge on Richarlison.
Willian, clearly not fully fit after being rushed back from injury, was sacrificed following Bakayoko's dismissal in place of Cesc Fabregas. The change in personnel did not help change the flow of the game, though, and Watford - with the worst home record in the league prior to tonight - had a deserved lead before the interval. Deulofeu used his pace to latch on to a through-ball and was brought down by Thibaut Courtois, allowing Deeney to convert the penalty to the stationary Belgian's right.
BENCH WATCH!
WATFORD SUBS: Bachmann, Mukena, Ndong, Pereyra, Lukebakio, Carrillo, Gray
CHELSEA SUBS: Caballero, Rudiger, Emerson, Drinkwater, Hudson-Odoi, Giroud
RESTART! We are back up and running in Hertfordshire, where neither manager has made any further changes. Chelsea need to improve massively on the back of a poor first-half showing; more of the same required from Watford's perspective.
A reminder that Watford have dropped 16 points from winning positions this term - the most of any side in the Premier League - so this one is not over just yet, even with that one man advantage. Still plenty of the game left to play here.
Richarlison picking up from where he left off in the first half by running straight through the Chelsea midfield. His pass to Deeney was a little disappointing, though, halting the flow of the attack and the Blues just about recovered.
YELLOW CARD! Sebastian Prodl is cautioned for his foul on Hazard after referee Mike Dean brought play back. Richarlison was also cautioned late on in the first half, so a couple of home players must be careful now.
A short stoppage in play following a clash of heads between Zeegelaar and Moses. The latter appears a little groggy but should be OK to continue, but the Watford man is less likely to carry on as the physios are on the field.
Zeegelaar is going to attempt to continue following that clash of heads, as is Moses. A couple of minutes eaten up following that incident, so both sides will have to find some momentum now that we are back under way.
Moses sends a good delivery into the box between goalkeeper and defence, but none of this teammates were there to meet it. Watford not really pushed on in this second half, allowing champions Chelsea to get at them and threaten an equaliser.
YELLOW CARD! A deep cross into the box is met by Richarlison, who was caught in two minds about whether to go for goal or pick out Deeney. In the end he did neither, with the ball floating out of play. Luiz kicks out at Zeegelaar and is booked.
SHOT! First shooting chance of the second half falls debutant Gerard Deulofeu's way, but his caressed attempt flashed wide. Richarlison then done likewise from a slightly wider position, as Watford begin to step things up a little.
CHELSEA SUB! Watford finally finding some momentum now, asking serious questions of the champions' backline. Some good interplay in the attacking third but no shot at the end of this latest attack. Olivier Giroud is now on for Pedro to provide some height.
A different option for the visitors up top now, then, and they need to start getting the ball into that area of the field. Watford boss Gracia has turned to his bench for the first time tonight, bringing on Roberto Pereyra for the cautioned Richarlison.
SAVE! Big save from Thibaut Courtois to push Abdoulaye Doucoure's powerful drive over the crossbar. Much like prior to their opening goal of the match, Watford looking the more likely of the two sides to find the back of the net.
Great play from Moses to slalom his way through a few players and into the box. The ball is half-cleared but soon returns towards Giroud, who played a part in his side winning a corner kick. Unfortunately for the Blues, it comes to little.
Giroud drops deep to pick up the ball but gives it away as quickly as he receives it. Just not happening for Chelsea at the minute, with the Blues barely looking like scoring all evening, particularly since going down to 10 men.
Real danger for Chelsea at the back as Deeney is picked out inside the box, lays it off for Deulofeu who could not quite set himself for the shot. The Blues having to do far more defending than attacking at the moment, with 16 minutes to go.
Not been the most entertaining of second halves here, in truth, but Watford boss Gracia will care little - his side will happily let this contest peter out to its conclusion. All of a sudden, the relegation zone is now six points away.
SAVE! Jose Holebas has a go from distance, striking the ball well but firing it a little too close to Courtois who was able to collect. Chelsea then enjoy a short spell of possession, which comes to little besides a cleared ball into the box.
SAVE! Chelsea's best move by quite some distance, as Hazard tees up Fabregas to test Orestis Karnezis down low. The Hornets dropping deeper and deeper and all of a sudden the visitors look as though they might just nick something from this.
GOAL! WATFORD 1-1 CHELSEA (EDEN HAZARD)
Incredibly frustrating from Watford, who look as though they will drop yet more points from a winning position. After dropping off, Hazard picked up the ball and sent a superb curler flying past Orestis Karnezis from more than 20 yards.
GOAL! WATFORD 2-1 CHELSEA (DARYL JANMAAT)
Unbelievable! Chelsea go in search of the win after equalising and are caught out, as Janmaat exchanges passes with Pereyra and tucks the ball past Courtois when one-on-one. Superb finish at the end of a positive, attacking move.
Two goals in two-and-a-half minutes means that it is as we were; Watford a goal up and now looking to see this one through. There will likely be four or five minutes added on, so this one is not over just yet. Do Chelsea have another goal in them?
GOAL! WATFORD 3-1 CHELSEA (GERARD DEULOFEU)
Deulofeu with a goal that his performance tonight has deserved, running into the box on the counter and sending the ball past Courtois after using Deeney's decoy run to perfection. Watford on their way to a rare win against Chelsea!
Six minutes of added time to be played at Vicarage Road, where each Watford pass is being met by cheers of "Ole!". A reminder that the Hornets have not defeated Chelsea this century, so this really would be quite special if they see things through.
GOAL! WATFORD 4-1 CHELSEA (ROBERTO PEREYRA)
Superb finish from Pereyra, who delayed the shot and then sent it flying past Courtois via his right boot. Heavy defeats to Bournemouth and now Watford in one week - the pressure is seriously mounting on Blues boss Antonio Conte.
WATFORD SUB! Deeney leaves the field to a standing ovation, replaced by Andre Gray for the closing seconds. Five of the six minutes of added time have now been played at Vicarage Road, where Watford are cruising.
FULL TIME: WATFORD 4-1 CHELSEA
Referee Mike Dean blows his whistle for full time, meaning successive three-goal defeats for an out-of-form Chelsea. Plenty more questions for Antonio Conte to answer after seeing his side completely crumble after battling back to level up eight minutes from time.
That concludes Sports Mole's live text coverage of events from Hertfordshire. An on-the-whistle report can be found by clicking here, while reaction from both camps will follow elsewhere on the site before 11pm. Thanks for joining!
