Watford v Chelsea player ratings

Chelsea staged a late recovery to win at Watford on Saturday. Here’s how we rated the Blues players at Vicarage Road.

Thibaut Courtois: 6

Made an early save from Jose Holebas at his near post but was beaten in the same area by a much more powerful strike.

Branislav Ivanovic: 6

Struggled a bit against Holebas, especially early on, and was probably culpable for the Watford goal, leaving Etienne Capoue free as he went to mark Troy Deeney instead.

John Terry: 8

Occasionally got caught out when he tried to press further up the pitch but he was, as usual, master of all he surveyed in his own box, giving Watford’s strike pairing little to feed on.

Gary Cahill: 8

Did the simple things well, was dominant in the air and looked far more composed than the Cahill of last season.

Cesar Azpilicueta: 6

Unfortunate to come up against the impressive Nordin Amrabat, who was a constant threat and sometimes left the Spaniard grasping at thin air.

N’Golo Kante: 7

Snapped at heels but occasionally found himself just a step or two behind the play. However, on the ball he was excellent and barely gave possession away.

Pedro: 6

Stepped in for the injured Willian and was bright early on, linking up nicely with Eden Hazard at times, but found himself crowded out too often when he tried to cut inside. Replaced by Victor Moses after 70 minutes.

Nemanja Matic: 5

A poor game for the Serbian, who looked a little lost in a more advanced role in Antonio Conte’s 4-1-4-1 formation. Too often slowed down Chelsea’s build-up play and it was no surprise when he was replaced by Cesc Fabregas.

Oscar: 6

Hit and miss with the ball – one superb delivery presented a chance Eden Hazard at the back post. But he was not involved as often as he might have liked and made way for Michy Batshuayi.

Eden Hazard: 6

Plenty of little flicks but no end product. He flashed a ball across goal, hit a tame free-kick straight at Heurelho Gomes, wasted neat interplay with Pedro with a poor cross, and shot over from Oscar’s delivery. He was also booked for kicking the ball away.

Diego Costa: 7

Just like against West Ham, he could have been sent off, wasn’t, then proved the match-winner. Antonio Conte criticised Costa for his booking for dissent but insisted the striker didn’t dive – despite TV replays indicating he did. Was kept well shackled until he latched on to Fabregas’ glorious pass and finished well.

Victor Moses: 6

Decent 20-minute cameo – the longest run-out he’s had in a Chelsea shirt since May 2013.

Michy Batshuayi: 7

A game changer. His pace and directness stretched the game, added a new dimension to the previously predictable Chelsea attack and he reacted quickly to Hazard’s spilled shot to net the equaliser.

Cesc Fabregas: 7

Benched again, but this time was given the chance to showcase his passing ability, which – not for the first time – presented Costa with a goal.