Simply put, the start of 2015 did not go as planned for Chelsea and the team's fans worldwide. Blues supporters across the globe got a rude awakening on New Years' Day as the current Premier League leaders were defeated 5-3 in an entertaining eight goal thriller against Tottenham in a London derby clash.
As such, Jose Mourinho's men are still at the top of the league table, but now have seen last season's winners Manchester City pull level on points after they battled to a 3-2 win over Sunderland in their first game of the new year.
Still, the FA Cup, given that their opponents Watford currently are featuring in the Championship, will certainly give Mourinho a chance to rotate his squad. Petr Cech, who has seen his playing time vastly limited this season due to the emergence of Thibaut Courtois, could be called into action.
Veteran striker Didier Drogba, no stranger to this competition will likely be given a run-out as the team's top scorer Diego Costa will be given a rest. Chelsea fans certainly have not forgotten Drogba's heroics during the 2006-2007 season, when it was his goal that defeated Manchester United and earned the team their fourth FA cup trophy.
While Watford have failed to beat Chelsea in any of their last five meetings--only scoring one goal in two occasions--that has not stopped the team from hoping to cause an upset of sorts at Stamford Bridge.
"[Although] Chelsea at the moment are [among] the top five teams in Europe, it will be a pleasure for [us] to play against a team like this," Hungarian midfielder Daniel Tozser, who is currently on loan from Serie A outfit Parma, stated prior to the game.
"We have nothing to be afraid of, nothing to lose. This is a game where we can show to our supporters that we have ambition [and that] we want to play against these teams."
Still, while he recognized the tough task ahead, he further noted:
"The biggest mistake we can make is not to lose the game or make a mistake - it's a part of football, especially against a team like this. If we really want to show what we can do, we must not be afraid."
Brave words, especially given that in their two most recent meetings, Chelsea cruised to a 5-0 win in 2010 and powered past them 3-1 the year before.
Still, one thing with football is that the unexpected has become quite expected indeed. And after that humbling result from just a few days ago, Blues fans will be hoping that their side has awakened from their post-Christmas slumber to get back up and running again.
Chelsea vs Watford team sheets
Chelsea starting XI: Cech; Azpilicueta, Zouma, Cahill, Filipe Luis; Ramires, Mikel; Remy, Oscar, Schurrle; Drogba
Chelsea bench: Courtois, Ivanovic, Ake, Matic, Willian, Salah, Diego Costa.
Watford starting XI: Bond, Munari, Paredes, Cathcart, Angella, Hoban, Tozer, Forestieri, Ighalo, Tozser, Deeney
Match details, result and original broadcast info
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