Chelsea vs Watford: TV channel, stream, kick-off time, odds & match preview

Oli Platt

Chelsea vs Watford: TV channel, stream, kick-off time, odds & match preview image

Chelsea are without a win in three games going into Saturday's Premier League meeting with Watford.

The Blues had won seven games out of eight and produced a masterful away performance at Atletico Madrid before losing to Manchester City at the end of September.

They have since been beaten by Crystal Palace and drawn with Roma and will hope to snap their current skid in their second of three consecutive matches at Stamford Bridge.

Game Chelsea vs Watford
Date Saturday, October 21
Time 12:30 BST / 07:30 ET

TV CHANNEL & LIVE STREAM


Andreas Christensen Chelsea

In the UK, the match will be available to watch live on television on Sky Sports Premier League or by stream via Sky Go.

UK TV channel Online stream
Sky Sports Premier League Sky Go

In the US, the match will be available to watch live on television on NBCSN and by stream via NBC Sports Live.

US TV channel Online stream
NBCSN NBC Sports Live

SQUADS & TEAM NEWS


Position Chelsea players
Goalkeepers Caballero, Courtois, Eduardo
Defenders Alonso, Cahill, Azpilicueta, Luiz, Rudiger, Christensen, Zappacosta, Clarke-Salter
Midfielders Fabregas, Hazard, Willian, Bakayoko, Musonda, Scott, Ampadu, Sterling, Kenedy
Forwards Pedro, Batshuayi, Morata

Chelsea will be without N'Golo Kante, Danny Drinkwater and Victor Moses once again, while David Luiz and Tiemoue Bakayoko are doubtful due to muscle issues.

Alvaro Morata returned against Roma in midweek, though whether Antonio Conte will want to start him twice in four days after injury remains to be seen.

Potential starting XI: Courtois; Azpilicueta, Christensen, Rudiger; Zappacosta, Fabregas, Bakayoko, Alonso; Pedro, Morata, Hazard.

Position Watford players
Goalkeepers Bachmann, Gomes, Karnezis
Defenders Britos, Mariappa, Femenia, Janmaat, Holebas, Dja Djedje, Kabasele, Mason, Wague, Zeegelaar
Midfielders Cleverley, Hughes, Doucoure, Watson, Capoue, Pereyra, Carrillo
Forwards Deeney, Sinclair, Okaka, Richarlison, Gray

Sebastian Prodl and Younes Kaboul are yet to return to training after injuries so two of Adrian Mariappa, Christian Kabasele and Miguel Britos will continue at centre-back - or all three if Marco Silva uses a three-man defence once again.

Isaac Success will miss a couple of months after knee surgery and Nathaniel Chalobah, Craig Cathcart and Tommie Hoban are also long-term absentees.

Potential starting XI: Gomes; Femenia, Mariappa, Kabasele, Holebas; Capoue, Doucoure; Carrillo, Cleverley, Richarlison; Deeney.


BETTING & MATCH ODDS


Tom Cleverley Watford

Chelsea are 4/11 favourites to win, according to dabblebet, with Watford priced at 17/2 and the draw available at 4/1.

Click here to view dabblebet's full selection of available match markets.


GAME PREVIEW


Marcos Alonso Chelsea

Take nothing away from Chelsea's latest Premier League title success, but it was helped by a large stroke of good fortune.

Antonio Conte was able to roll out his preferred starting XI almost uninterrupted last season, and once the Italian had struck upon a formation that suited his best 11 players plus two or three reserves and built up some momentum, the Blues were difficult to stop.

It was naive to think Chelsea would go untouched by injuries forever, though, and now they are stretched.

Three new signings were in their starting XI against Roma in midweek, plus the returning Andreas Christensen.

It was a more familiar lineup that lost to Crystal Palace before that but Diego Costa's departure and an injury to N'Golo Kante served to disrupt the continuity of the side enough to cost them points.

We can talk about Conte relying on 13 or so players last season but it is just as accurate to say that Costa, Kante, David Luiz and Eden Hazard gave the team its identity and now Chelsea are having to diversify.

That process of becoming a more varied, flexible team will take time and has been a rocky one so far.

Oli Platt