Chelsea vs. Watford: Date, Time, Preview and Prediction for FA Cup Clash

Chelsea will kick off their FA Cup campaign when they host in-form Championship side Watford at Stamford Bridge on Sunday, with the first ball set to be kicked at 4 p.m. GMT.

The Hornets are heavy underdogs coming into the match but have won four of their last five fixtures, contending for promotion to the Premier League in 2015. Chelsea lead the Premier League, but the visitors will like their chances of pulling off the upset.

The Blues have collected just one point out of their last two matches, and with Jose Mourinho likely fielding a team filled with backups, fans won't be sure what they're in for on Sunday until the final whistle is blown.

Date: Sunday, January 4

Time: 4 p.m. GMT/11 a.m. ET

Venue: Stamford Bridge

Preview

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Chelsea likely can't get any happier the busy holiday schedule is finally over, as their lead at the top of the Premier League standings has evaporated heading into the second half of the season.

The Blues need to lick their wounds and get healthy again, and Mourinho intends to get his team to do just that. As reported by Sky Sports, he plans to rest several key starters for this FA Cup tie:

"

Obviously we are going to rest a couple of players, that's normal.

We want to try to beat Watford, but at the same time, we have to analyse the players' condition and make the right decision for them and give a chance to other people to play.

I have players from the first team and players that we need to have in condition to play.

"

This year's FA Cup campaign will be a historic one for the Blues—according to the club's official Twitter feed, it will be their 100th season contending for the trophy:

Standing between Chelsea and the fourth round are Watford, who have been in excellent form of late and currently sit fifth in the Championship, seven points off league-leaders Bournemouth.

The Hornets know they'll be facing a club who have won their last 16 third-round matchups in this tournament, per Chelsea's official website, and no matter how you look at this match, the Blues will be strong favourites.

The visitors won't let that slow them down, however, as Daniel Tozser told i4 Watford:

Adlene Guedioura's loan spell has ended, so he has returned to Crystal Palace, and under the agreement of his current loan deal, Sebastien Bassong is ineligible to feature against the Blues.

Two or three additional key injuries in the defensive department leave the Hornets low on experienced contributors for Sunday's match, and even if the likes of Diego Costa and Eden Hazard will likely be rested, Chelsea will still boast the firepower to take advantage of Watford's lack of big-stage experience.

The Hornets have an excellent squad and would make a fine addition to next year's Premier League, but as of right now, they're not ready to hang with the big boys. Don't expect a thrashing, but do expect a Chelsea win.

Final prediction: Chelsea 2-0 Watford

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