Summary

  • Listen to Chelsea v Watford on BBC Radio 5 live and online

  • Pedro's superb strike gives Chelsea lead

  • Doucoure and Pereyra put Watford in front

  • Batshuayi double & Azpilicueta header complete Chelsea fightback

  1. Early team newspublished at 11:50 British Summer Time 21 October 2017

    It won't help your Fantasy Football selection (because the deadline was last night ahead of West Ham v Brighton), but nevertheless you might still be interested in who is likely to line up for your team in the 3pm kick-offs...

  2. get involved

    Get Involvedpublished at 11:46 British Summer Time 21 October 2017

    #bbcfootball or text 81111

    I got Eastleigh to win the Champions League on three occasions running on Football Manager. Danny Welbeck, signed on a free and managed to score +20 every season from League 2 up to the Prem. 12 years it took me mind.

    Jamie McKellar, Southampton

    I managed Nuneaton to Premiership, Uefa Cup and Champions League glory armed with Champ 00-01 legend Tonton Zola Moukouko and Robbie Fowler.

    James Baker, Weymouth.

  3. Conte denies reports of unrestpublished at 11:42 British Summer Time 21 October 2017

    Chelsea v Watford (12:30 BST)

    Media caption,

    Training methods are the same as last season - Conte

    Are problems brewing at Chelsea?

    Reports this week suggested the players are unhappy at manager Antonio Conte's punishing training regime.

    The Italian however has denied the claims saying the training load is "70% less" than it was during last season's Premier League title-winning campaign.

    What is certain is that the champions are without a win in three Premier League games ahead of today's game against Watford.

    "I think every coach, every manager has to feel the pressure," Conte said.

  4. Team newspublished at 11:38 British Summer Time 21 October 2017

    Chelsea v Watford (12:30 BST)

    Chelsea XI

    Chelsea are boosted as David Luiz and Tiemoue Bakayoko are both fit to start having been doubts with muscle injuries.

    Alvaro Morata also makes his Premier League return having limped off against Manchester City last month.

    In total there are two changes made by Antonio Conte from the side that drew with Roma in the Champions League. Centre-back Antonio Rüdiger replaces Andreas Christensen and winger Pedro comes in for Davide Zappacosta.

    Chelsea XI: Courtois, Rudiger, Luiz, Cahill, Alonso, Azpilcueta, Bakayoko, Fabregas, Hazard, Pedro, Morata

    Subs: Caballero, Musonda, Zappacosta, Willian, Batshuayi, Christensen, Ampadu

    Watford XI

    Marco Silva makes just the one change to his Watford side that beat Arsenal last time out.

    Troy Deeney, who scored in that victory, replaces Andre Gray up front. It is just his second start in the Premier League this season.

    Watford XI: Gomes, Britos, Mariappa, Holebas, Pereyra, Kabasele, Doucoure, Femenia, Cleverley, Richarlison, Deeney

    Subs: Karnezis, Janmaat, Wagué, Gray, Watson, Carrillo, Capoue

  5. Coverage throughout the daypublished at 11:36 British Summer Time 21 October 2017

    BBC One, BBC Red Button & online

    BBC Sport

    There is plenty of football coverage for you today and it starts with Football Focus which will be live on BBC One from 12:00 BST.

    Dan Walker is joined by Jermaine Jenas and Matthew Upson to preview all of today's matches.

    You can then tune into Final Score on the BBC Red Button and online from 14:30 BST with guests Garth Crooks and Danny Mills.

    Final Score moves onto BBC One from 16:05 BST and you can then watch highlights of all of today's games on Match of the Day from 22:30 BST on BBC One.

  6. Breaking Chelsea team newspublished at 11:33 British Summer Time 21 October 2017

    Chelsea v Watford (12:30 BST)

    Chelsea defender David Luiz is fit to play after passing a fitness test, as does midfielder Tiemoue Bakayoko, in a strong Blues side.

    Full team news to follow.

  7. Breaking Watford team newspublished at 11:31 British Summer Time 21 October 2017

    Chelsea v Watford (12:30 BST)

    He is! Marco Silva was clearly impressed with Deeney's game-changing performance against the Gunners - he starts ahead of Andre Gray in one change for Watford.

  8. Will Deeney start for Watford?published at 11:29 British Summer Time 21 October 2017

    Chelsea v Watford (12:30 BST)

    Watford skipper Troy Deeney appeared from the bench to take the game against Arsenal by the, ahem, "cojones" last weekend.

    Will he be rewarded with a starting place at the Bridge today? We're about to find out...

  9. Prediction timepublished at 11:25 British Summer Time 21 October 2017

    PredictorImage source, BBC Sport

    If Lawro can do it, so can you. Take on our resident pundit in trying to predict the Premier League scores.

    More than 200,000 people played last season, and you can register to take part now - it takes less than a minute to get set up.

    If you haven't already, you can do it here.

  10. Lawro's predictionspublished at 11:22 British Summer Time 21 October 2017

    Joe RootImage source, Reuters

    This weekend, our resident football tipster, Mark Lawrenson, is going head-to-head with England cricket captain Joe Root in the quest to guess the winners and correct scores in the Premier League.

    Root, a Sheffield United fan, claims he has a bit of football pedigree to go with his cricket talent, telling BBC Sport: "I would say I am in the Gary Lineker mould. I stay right at the top and am just basically quite deadly in front of goal."

    Read more here.

  11. Merse returnspublished at 11:18 British Summer Time 21 October 2017

    Media caption,

    Paul Merson: Former England player debuts for local Welsh club

    It is not often a former England international and Premier League star signs for your local club.

    But that is exactly what has happened to Welsh fourth-tier club Caerau of Maesteg.

    Arsenal legend Paul Merson has come out of retirement to play for the team after being persuaded by friend and Caerau secretary Dai Hooper.

    The 49-year-old made his debut against Pontyclun on Wednesday, but did not quite go to plan as the match was abandoned after an hour because of floodlight failure.

  12. Get involvedpublished at 11:13 British Summer Time 21 October 2017

    #bbcfootball

    Runcorn might want to build a statue of Huang Wenbin outside the Millbank Linnets Stadium. He's arguably their greatest ever manager after taking them to the Champions League with the likes of Steven Gerrard and David Beckham in his Championship Manager side.

    Have you ever been a better computer game boss? Ever taken Kettering to the FA Cup final? Signed Ronaldinho for Raith?

    Or do you know a 'super fan' like Huang who has travelled across the world all in the name of love for a random football team?

    Get in touch on #bbcfootball or text 81111.

  13. 'Going to Runcorn was the greatest day of my life'published at 11:08 British Summer Time 21 October 2017

    A football-mad family flew to the UK from China to watch the non-league side their dad "managed" on a computer game.

    Huang Wenbin became a fan of Runcorn FC Halton, as they were then known, following his tenure in charge of them on Championship Manager 01/02.

    Wenbin, 37, has now completed the ultimate pilgrimage with a 12,000-mile round-trip to visit Runcorn Linnets.

    The father-of-two said seeing the ground was "the greatest day of my life".

    Runcorn
  14. Postpublished at 11:06 British Summer Time 21 October 2017

    Never mind the global pull of the Premier League. The North West Counties League Premier Division is where all the glamour is for some fans from far afield...

  15. Early team newspublished at 11:00 British Summer Time 21 October 2017

    Chelsea v Watford (12:30 BST)

    David LuizImage source, Getty Images

    Chelsea trio David Luiz, Victor Moses and Tiemoue Bakayoko are all struggling with muscle problems and face fitness tests.

    Midfielders N'Golo Kante and Danny Drinkwater remain out with hamstring and calf injuries respectively.

    Watford have no new injuries so may be unchanged from the win against Arsenal.

    Younes Kaboul and Sebastian Prodl are still sidelined, while Craig Cathcart, Nathaniel Chalobah and Isaac Success are all long-term absentees.

  16. Postpublished at 10:59 British Summer Time 21 October 2017

    Chelsea v Watford (12:30 BST)

    Almost half an hour until the teams from the Bridge are revealed. Here's an idea of what they might look like...

  17. Postpublished at 10:54 British Summer Time 21 October 2017

    If Bilic does go then Big Sam is always available...

  18. Final nail in the coffin?published at 10:53 British Summer Time 21 October 2017

    West Ham 0-3 Brighton

    Jenas, who was covering the game for BBC Radio 5 live, says the Hammers' performance felt like the "final nail in the coffin" for Bilic.

    "I felt like Slaven Bilic ran out of ideas a little bit," said the former Newcastle and Tottenham midfielder.

    "He looked dejected on the sideline. It felt like a tough moment."

    Slaven BilicImage source, Reuters
  19. Postpublished at 10:51 British Summer Time 21 October 2017

    Did that embarrassing defeat seal Slaven Bilic's fate? Former England midfielder Jermaine Jenas thinks it might have done...

  20. Bilic not worried - but realisticpublished at 10:48 British Summer Time 21 October 2017

    West Ham 0-3 Brighton

    Slaven Bilic, unsurprisingly, looked pretty miserable when he faced the media after West Ham lost 3-0 to Brighton last night, saying he is "not worried" but is "realistic" about his future.

    The home fans booed throughout and thousands left the ground early following Brighton's third goal, which sealed the visitors' first away win of the season.

    West Ham slipped to 17th in the table and will drop into the relegation zone if Leicester beat Swansea on Saturday.

    "The speculation was here before," said Bilic.

    "I'm manager of the team. I don't want to hide behind anything. It's my responsibility and it's up to the board."

    West HamImage source, Reuters