Watford vs. Chelsea: Winners and Losers from Premier League
Watford and Chelsea played to a scoreless draw in the Premier League on Wednesday night at Vicarage Road.
The hosts were marginally the better side in the first half, but Chelsea created the best chances of the night during the second 45 minutes. Branislav Ivanovic and Diego Costa both came close for the visitors, but Heurelho Gomes made two fine saves to keep Watford level.
Both teams moved up a place in the table with the point, with Watford now ninth and Chelsea 13th.
Here, Bleacher Report selects winners and losers from the match.
Winner: Heurelho Gomes
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On the balance of play over 90 minutes, a draw was probably fair. Each side created chances, and both were superior for one half.
That said, Chelsea came closer to taking the points with their strong second-half showing. The best chances fell to Ivanovic and Costa, but neither was able to beat Gomes in Watford's goal.
In the 78th minute, Willian slipped a pass through to Eden Hazard on the right. Hazard pulled back for Ivanovic, who fired a shot on goal from close range. The breakthrough seemed inevitable, but Gomes produced a great reaction save to keep Watford level.
Ten minutes later, he made an even better stop.
In the 88th minute, Chelsea took a corner shot on the right, with Willian curling a cross to Costa. The Spain international powered a header on target at the far post, but Gomes flung himself at the ball and swatted it away.
The margins, as the saying goes, can be incredibly tight in top-level football. On this night, Gomes' hands were worth a point for Watford.
Loser: A Silly Spat Along the Touchline
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Tempers nearly boiled over just before halftime as trouble found Costa once again. Little surprise there, of course, but this incident was nothing but silly.
Both Costa and Watford's Juan Carlos Paredes were guilty of pushing the other, and both were guilty of a bit of overreacting. In the end, referee Mike Dean showed the yellow card to both, and cooler heads prevailed.
Credit to Dean. The incident could have escalated, but he kept it from becoming anything more.
Winner: Chelsea's Unbeaten Run
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A draw wasn't the ideal result for Chelsea if the Blues are going to make an unlikely push for the top four. But it also stretched the club's unbeaten run to 10 matches in all competitions and provided further evidence that interim manager Guus Hiddink has righted the ship.
Nine of those 10 unbeaten games have fallen on Hiddink's watch, starting with a 2-2 draw against this same Watford side on Boxing Day. Unlike that day, however, Chelsea kept a clean sheet this time, extending their recent run of good form in the defensive third, having allowed just one goal over their last three matches in all competitions.
With the defense improving, the next step is to start winning tight matches like this one. Chelsea are nowhere near good enough yet, but after the disastrous start to the season, Roman Abramovich will be pleased with the progress Hiddink has made.
Winner and Loser: Jose Manuel Jurado
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Jose Manuel Jurado starred in the first half, pulling the strings from his central attacking role and generally making life difficult for any defenders wearing blue.
In one sequence, he nearly carved out the breakthrough for his side, showing excellent close control before slotting a superb pass through to Etienne Capoue on the right. Capoue's powerful shot was saved, but the buildup alone was worthy of a goal.
"Jurado has been magic tonight, gorgeous skill, playing with Chelsea so far," Jack Rathborn tweeted during the opening 45 minutes.
However, Jurado faded after halftime and had little effect on the match in the second half. He was clearly upset when manager Quique Sanchez Flores hauled him off for a substitute in the 64th minute, but it was the right decision.
Winner: Watford's Premier League Credentials
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By this point of the season, Watford are no longer a surprise. Flores has the Hornets playing good football, and the proof is clear for all to see in the league table. Through 24 matches, Watford sit in ninth place, just one point behind Liverpool and seven behind Manchester United in fifth.
On this night, Flores' men once again proved they belong. Although Chelsea came close to plucking the full three points with a late push, a loss would have been harsh on the hosts, who were the better side throughout the first half.
Many a preseason prediction had the Hornets returning straight to the Championship at the first time of asking, but those prognostications look foolish now. Watford are in the Premier League to stay.
