Watford 2 Chelsea 2The omens were not good. While those in yellow played clumsily among each other, the boy in blue controlled the ball with a deft flick and volleyed a pass perfectly into the path of his intended target.
Even Chelsea's mascot was significantly superior to anything the citizens of Watford could offer.
That such a gulf in class was never apparent once the warm-up ended was largely down to an astute tactical switch from Ray Lewington, about which Chelsea appeared to have been forewarned but not prepared.
"I read in the paper this week that they've been working on getting the ball forward quickly and getting it up to the front man, who was really good in the air," said Frank Lampard. "That was obviously their game plan and it worked. We weren't really ready for that."
To be not really ready for something you have read in the paper might appear a dereliction of duty, but Watford's success was built on more than just the occasional punt forwards, magnificent as Heidar Helguson was in contesting every pass and every cross as sole striker.
It remains to be seen which side will look back on this match with greater fondness, but for Marcel Desailly it will surely always induce a shiver of shock. Once the most feared defender in Europe, here he was outjumped, outfought and ultimately outplayed by Watford's Icelandic forward, his performance hapless enough to convince Claudio Ranieri that the 35-year-old can no longer be trusted to fill John Terry's shoes.
"I hoped to give some rest to John without suffering in this way," said Ranieri. "All the high balls were dangerous for us. It's not possible."
Asked whether he would risk replacing Terry with Desailly in future, Ranieri was firm: "In this moment, no." He might not have to. With the transfer window freshly opened there is speculation surrounding Roma's Romanian defender Christian Chivu, said to be available for as little as £6 million due to the Italian club's financial problems.
Chelsea's owner, Roman Abramovich, was reported yesterday as saying: "Chivu will come to England only for Chelsea and he will be my golden boy. We want him and we need him."
Having watched this match from the directors' box Abramovich has evidence to support that assertion but Desailly was not Chelsea's only weak link. On the left flank Geremi and Celestine Babayaro formed a depressingly pregnable pairing, unable throughout the first half to cope with Paul Devlin and Neal Ardley.
Three times in the first half-hour the latter pair combined to create chances. One was missed by Micah Hyde, another found Paolo Vernazza, who would have scored but for Desailly's goal-line clearance, but the first had given Watford the lead.
In the fifth minute Devlin laid the ball back to Ardley, whose cross was headed by Helguson on to the crossbar, from where the ball dropped in the vicinity of the line before being cleared. The linesman Dave Bryan was imperfectly positioned but nevertheless signalled a goal; it was not.
"I find it hard to believe how he could have given it," said Lampard. "I'm sure he'll feel a bit embarrassed when he sees it again on telly."
Ranieri said he believed goal-line cameras should be used to rule on such incidents, when it is easy to stop play and consider the evidence.
He said: "I make mistakes, as do players, referees and linesmen. But sooner or later, all stadia, especially in the Premier League, must have a camera to say whether it's a goal or not - and not just because this happened to us today."
An FA inquiry appears likely.
Watford's five-man midfield, Lewington's main innovation for the game, was initially dominant. Chelsea, unable to pass their way through their opponents on a poor pitch, were forced to pass over them. Too often chipped through-balls found Eidur Gudjohnsen or the disappointing Adrian Mutu offside but Jesper Gronkjaer found more space against the inexperienced Jack Smith, making only his ninth start.
With his first taste of freedom the Dane scampered through before being bundled over by Lenny Pidgeley, Gudjohnsen scoring the penalty. Gavin Mahon equalised two minutes later as Chelsea's defence crumbled under Lee Cook's centre before Lampard restored parity with a low, deflected shot from the edge of the area.
The visitors were more dominant in the second half, although Watford could have had a penalty when Mahon was apparently tripped by William Gallas.
While their performance was encouraging, the Hornets' tactics are unlikely to work so well a second time.
"We will have to play a bit different there," said Marcus Gayle of the replay. "There might be a slight tactical change, but with what we did today we might keep the same formation."
By Tuesday week, however, Chelsea might actually have done some preparation. And the omens continue to be poor. Pidgeley, the goalkeeper on loan from Chelsea for the season, has only actually played at Stamford Bridge once before. It was a third-round replay three seasons ago, albeit in the FA Youth Cup. He conceded seven.
Replay Tuesday, January 13th.
WATFORD: Pidgeley; Ardley, Dyche, Gayle, Smith, Devlin, Hyde, Mahon, Vernazza, Cook (Webber 80), Helguson. Subs Not Used: Chamberlain, Dyer, Doyley, Fitzgerald. Booked: Helguson. Goals: Helguson 5, Mahon 34.
CHELSEA: Sullivan; Johnson, Desailly, Gallas, Babayaro, Gronkjaer, Makelele, Lampard, Geremi, Gudjohnsen, Mutu. Subs Not Used: Hasselbaink, Cole, Melchiot, Huth, Ambrosio. Goals: Gudjohnsen 33 pen, Lampard 41.
Referee: A Wiley (Staffordshire).
