All is not well at Chelsea as they prepare to make the short trip to Watford on Monday night looking to bounce back from their 3-0 home loss against Bournemouth earlier on in the week.
Antonio Conte’s side endured a miserable January and they now enter arguably their toughest month yet with their Champions League clash against Barcelona on the horizon.
Before that, they will be looking to get themselves back on track in the Premier League. Here are the five key things to look out for against the Hornets at Vicarage Road:
#1 Conte’s body language
The Italian looked down and out after Chelsea suffered a surprise defeat at the hands of Eddie Howe’s side on Wednesday night. Lack of power at the club and poor form on the pitch has resulted in Conte continuously fighting his corner this season. He has sent a number of clear messages to the board that he is seemingly looking for a divorce, so it will be interesting to see how he is on the touchline on Monday night. It won’t be a surprise to see the well-dressed Italian don a pair of tracksuit bottoms at Vicarage Road.
#2 Supporters reaction
The Chelsea faithful are stuck in between the current civil war brewing at Stamford Bridge. Conte still seems to have the backing of the club’s supporters but it remains to be seen if the minority turns into a majority. If the Blues suffer a defeat at the hands of Watford then it will be interesting to see how their fans react. It would be surprising if they do turn on Conte because there are bigger problems at the club than the Italian himself.
#3 Will Giroud start
Olivier Giroud made a deadline day switch from Arsenal to Chelsea and the Frenchman could be thrown straight into the action. Alvaro Morata could return from injury but with Eden Hazard disappointing in a false nine role against the Cherries, Giroud could find himself in the starting XI. He was Arsene Wenger’s plan B at the Emirates Stadium, but Conte will be hoping the target-man will be more than that at the Bridge.
#4 Return of Luiz?
Andreas Christensen replaced David Luiz in the starting XI earlier on in the season after the Brazilian reportedly had a falling out with his manager. Luiz has hardly featured since then but with Christensen coming off injured against Bournemouth, Luiz could find himself back in the Chelsea squad. Conte, more than likely, will not start with the experienced center-back but he could find himself back on the bench at Watford.
#5 Youngsters to the rescue?
With over an hour gone on the clock against Bournemouth and Chelsea staring at a defeat, Conte opted to give youngster Callum Hudson-Odoia a chance against the Cherries. The highly-rated youngster impressed during his 25 minutes on the field, so it remains to be seen if Conte opts to start a few academy players on Monday night. Chelsea need some excitement and something to cheer for – giving opportunities to a number of their youngsters could just bring everyone together, for the time being at least.