Three things to look for in Watford vs. Chelsea: Rotation, responses and zones

2. Chelsea need the response more than they need the result

Three points are three points, and an ugly win is still a win. But given their performance against Leicester City and some of their limp wins throughout this season, even a win may not be enough to show the Blues are on the right track.

Early wins were part of the facade of competence that too many fans and pundits swallowed whole-heartedly. Maurizio Sarri was not fooled, but few listened. He knew the results and Chelsea’s place in the table flattered what he was seeing on the pitch. The recent losses to Wolves, Tottenham and Leicester aligned Chelsea’s play with the outcome.

The second-most disheartening part of last weekend came at Goodison Park. Everton took the lead over Tottenham 21 minutes into the game. Tottenham’s response was everything we usually associate with Chelsea, nothing like what we normally attribute to Spurs and everything Chelsea lacked against Leicester. The goal galvanized Tottenham. They dug deep and went straight to everything they have learned from Mauricio Pochettino. Their star players took control of the result without abandoning their teammates. They played a team, they took the lead as a team, they throttled Everton and moved within two points of Manchester City as a team.

When Chelsea went down a goal, they tossed out their tactics, their cohesion, their sense of purpose. They became 11 individuals each trying to do… something. The difference between Chelsea and Tottenham had nothing to do with the amount of time the squads have had under their respective coaches. This was not about Tottenham being a more fully-formed team after five years than Chelsea after five months. It was about commitment, belief and discipline. The Blues simply discarded Sarrismo.

Had they played an imperfect game according to plan and still lost, Maurizio Sarri would at least know where they stand and what he needs to work on in training. Instead, he is trying to take the measure of his team at a crucial juncture in the season, and probably starting to understand why no one else much wanted his job.

The Blues have to show they care about this project, are committed to each other and are willing to learn, grow, possibly lose and eventually win as a team. This is more doubtful than it ever should be. How the Blues play on Wednesday and how they respond to adversity will echo through this season far more than win, lose or draw.