Chelsea score predictions: Contributors expect Blues to bounce back

Chelsea is looking to avoid a second straight loss to a relegation-threatened side, our contributors believe the Blues can and will bounce back.

Much like West Ham, Watford always puts up a fight against Chelsea. Troy Deeney will present a problem up front if the Blues don’t get their acts together. Another series of unnecessary dropped points might prove to be fatal. Chelsea doesn’t need to worry about what’s going on elsewhere; if the Blues win out, they’re in the Champions League next season. Easier said than done, obviously, but there’s no reason to put added pressure on a young group.

Chelsea needs to go out and take care of business, especially against Watford, and that’s exactly what our staff expects them to do. Here are our contributors’ predictions:

Siddharth Bharani-Dharan: 3-1 Chelsea

The Blues are going to bounce back from a disappointing loss against West Ham. Frank Lampard will be looking to make some changes to the defense with Kurt Zouma getting the potential chance to start. Lampard will pick a good midfield trio, as well; and the attack has done well lately. As long as the defense is intact, it is a win for Chelsea.

Scott Brant: 2-1 Chelsea

Blues bounce back, but not in the style we would all hope for. Olivier Giroud and Willian score to put the Blues up early and they concede late to make it interesting. A win’s a win, but it would be nice to come out and just route Watford 4-0. Not sure we’re there yet.

Kevin Peacock: 2-0 Chelsea

Chelsea was poor against West Ham, who do tends to raise its game when Chelsea comes to town. The bad news is that Watford is next up and the Hornets fall into the same camp. Lampard knows his side’s faults but currently lacks the personnel to correct them. With United creeping up the table, we can only hope Watford don’t inflict another defeat. Always wanting to be positive, Chelsea runs out winners 2-0 as the Blues somehow, miraculously keep a clean sheet. Mason Mount and the in-form Christian Pulisic with goals.

Nate Hofmann: 3-1 Chelsea

I’m willing to chalk up the West Ham loss to overconfidence and tired legs. With some rotation in the squad and some humbleness imparted by the Hammers, Chelsea shouldn’t get caught with their metaphorical pants around their ankles again. Watford need to push for any and every point for the rest of the season, so you’d expect Chelsea to have more than a few chances to rain down fire and brimstone on Ben Foster’s goal.  If Chelsea can channel the frustration of the West Ham debacle into something productive, this should be relatively straightforward. Doesn’t mean the Blues will keep a clean sheet though.

Gabe Henderson: 5-2 Chelsea

Chelsea is—or at least should be—furious. After an abysmal performance at mid-week, expect the Blues to fire goals in from each and every direction. A three-goal margin sees the Blues walk away with a comfortable win in their new shirts, but not without conceding a few. Zouma will help stabilize things at the back, but until Fikayo Tomori comes back, total defensive stability and clean sheets are going to be few and far between. Pulisic will bag a brace in honor of July Fourth, Ross Barkley will bounce back with a solid performance and Giroud will reclaim his throne atop the forward depth chart with a goal or three. Unfortunately for Watford, the Hornets are going to feel the frustrations of the Blues’ last loss.

Varun Dani: 2-1 Chelsea

The next stop on ‘bogey team express’ is the Hornets, who usually have some sting to them. Neither team can afford to drop points, which makes this an extremely cagey affair. Lampard must’ve put his players through hell after that last game, so they’d better be up to the challenge. If they fail to live up to his standards again, we might see some of their futures in doubt when the window opens.

Olaoluwa Nwobodo: 2-1 Chelsea

The Blues should be have enough about them to see off Watford, but it will not be an easy game. Chelsea will be looking to react after losing to West Ham in the manner that it did.

Abhishek Pancholi: 3-2 Chelsea

After a defeat by the same scoreline, the Blues turn the tables on their next opponents. A win, sponsored by Three. Sorry, ‘3’.

What do you think the final score in the match will be? Make your predictions in the comments or on The Pride of London Twitter!