Chelsea vs Watford

Chelsea and Watford will lock horns at Stamford Bridge in the ultimate round of the 2021/22 Premier League fixtures.

Despite drawing 1-1 with Leicester City at home last time out, Chelsea will finish third regardless of the result in this fixture. But after going winless in four of their five previous league matches (D3, L1), the ‘Blues’ will feel obliged to give the Stamford Bridge faithful something to shout for on the final weekend. Watford’s visit to the nation’s capital bodes well for Chelsea, as they’ve never lost a home Premier League meeting with this opposition (W6, D1), scoring 2+ goals in all seven such fixtures. Yet, Thomas Tuchel’s men have racked up just one win in their last five Premier League home outings (D2, L2), conceding 2+ goals in three of the four matches they failed to win in that sequence. After a 2-1 reverse at the hands of Aston Villa in last season’s Premier League finale, Chelsea could lose back-to-back closing day fixtures in England’s top-flight fo the first time since 1991/92.

In the meantime, Watford’s second-lowest tally of six wins from 37 Premier League fixtures this season (D5, L26) has culminated with another relegation. Coming into the ultimate round, the ‘Hornets’ are winless in eight league games (D1, L7), failing to get on the scoresheet in 50% of them. Moreover, except for a 2-1 win at Southampton in mid-March, Roy Hodgson’s lads have lost four of their five previous away league outings, succumbing to multi-goal margins in three of them. That said, Watford have amassed 65% of their total Premier League points this season on hostile turf (15/23), the second-ever highest share in the competition. All that could be in vain, as they’ve suffered eight defeats in their last nine Premier League meetings with Chelsea (W1).