Boxing Day Disappointment

It was a tale of two penalties, as the champions of England and their Hertfordshire opponents battled out a hard-fought, high-scoring draw. While Watford's Troy Deeney converted his team's effort crucially just before half time, Chelsea's Oscar blazed his awful effort over the crossbar in the last ten minutes to deny the hosts all three points. If the away team had missed their spot kick and the home team had slotted home theirs, the scoreline would have ended up as three goals to one. In the event, perhaps a sharing of the points was a fair result. The visitors did threaten either side of half time, and duly got their rewards. However, the home team did press for a winner once Costa had restored parity halfway through the second half. At least the Spanish bandit has found his goalscoring touch again, so perhaps all is not lost after all.

Nevertheless we again saw a demonstration of the futility of bleating on about rejected penalty appeals, as Hazard and Oscar and chums have a knack of missing spot kicks anyhow, so what's the bleedin' point of crying for penalties in each and every match? Just score from open play and forget about spot kick awards or rewards from non-obliging officials. 

Well, I am far from happy about two dropped points at home to a team that was playing in a lower league last season, but when Chelsea were trailing early in the second half, then a draw might seem like not such a bad outcome. However, old man Hiddink has already reverted to the same old failing faces who flopped during the dying weeks of the ancien regime of Mourinho. Even young Kurt Zouma was cast aside, in favour of the average Gary Cahill. No young players were 'risked'. It is almost as if Jose has not left at all. One can only hope for better, and that new players and new fortunes will come sooner rather than later. To stick to the same old formation and the same old personnel and expect different results is the very embodiment of Einstein's theory of madness.

Next item on the agenda is Manchester United. Such is the peculiarity of this season's Premiership circus that a trip to Old Trafford suddenly seems an easier proposition than a home contest against 'little' Watford. It's a funny old game. 

CHELSEA 2 Watford 2; half time: 1-1.

CHELSEA goal scorer: Costa (2)

CHELSEA team: Courtois; Azpilicueta; Ivanovic; Cahill; Terry; Matic; Pedro; Fabregas; Costa; Willian; Oscar. Used substitutes: Mikel; Hazard.

CHELSEA LEADING SCORERS:

Willian seven goals

Costa six goals

Oscar four goals

Pedro three goals

Ramires three goals

Remy three goals

Cahill two goals

Zouma two goals