LONDON // As far as reunions go, it did not quite turn out the way Chelsea or Guus Hiddink would have wanted.
The Dutchman, back on the Stamford Bridge touchline for the first time since a 2-0 victory over Blackburn Rovers in May 2009, spent most of the match glued to his seat as Chelsea failed to build on last weekend’s win over Sunderland with another three points.
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It is a sign of the times, though, that a 2-2 draw at home to newly-promoted Watford cannot be considered a surprise result.
“It was an intense game from both sides,” Hiddink said afterwards. “We conceded some unlucky goals, but of course I’m a little bit disappointed we didn’t get three points.
“I noticed the intensity today, which I liked very much. We just have to look very hard for the balance of this team.”
Chelsea started well, pinning Watford back inside their own half and threatening down the flanks in the opening stages.
Oscar looked particularly bright, just as he did in last weekend’s 3-1 victory over Sunderland, and Willian again displayed the blend of skill and work rate that has made him a firm fans’ favourite at Stamford Bridge this term.
The breakthrough did not come, though, and it was not long before Chelsea’s fragile confidence came to the fore once more.
That failure to grab an early goal made the hosts nervous and edgy in possession.
They were unable to string passing moves together and were guilty of giving the ball away in dangerous areas far too frequently.
Chelsea may have taken the lead through Diego Costa, whose name was again greeted with a smattering of boos from supporters when the line-ups were read out before kick off, but the Spaniard’s strike undisputedly came against the run of play.
When Troy Deeney converted from the penalty spot a few minutes later, no-one of a blue persuasion could have argued that the equaliser was undeserved.
It has been a theme of Chelsea’s season, positions of strength quickly undone by a rapid loss of self-belief.
They have now taken the lead at home in the Premier League on eight occasions, with only four of those matches bringing all three points.
Given their results and performances at Stamford Bridge in 2015/16, it is now almost unimaginable that Chelsea once went 86 top flight home games without defeat between 2004 and 2008, a run that ended three-and-a-half months before Hiddink replaced Luiz Felipe Scolari in the dugout.
This is a Chelsea outfit that has been completely stripped of the aura that once surrounded it. There was no sign of an inferiority complex from Quique Sanchez Flores’ men here.
Watford may have spent long spells sitting back in a deep and compact defensive shape, but they were not afraid to commit players forward when the opportunity presented itself.
Striker Odion Ighalo’s deflected effort early in the second half was just reward for the visitors’ endeavour.
Although Chelsea rallied and arguably deserved more than just the one extra goal that Costa gave them – Oscar’s skied penalty was a golden chance to grab a winner – it was difficult to begrudge Watford their 10th point in December.
Sacking Jose Mourinho was never going to solve all of Chelsea’s problems.
The players may have been liberated by the Portuguese’s absence from the touchline against Sunderland last time out, but their impressive display then was down to the poor quality of the opposition as much as anything else.
Watford, an excellent team flying high in seventh place, did enough yesterday to show that the champions have still not turned the corner.
If Hiddink is to enjoy as much success in his second spell as Chelsea interim manager as he did in his first, there are plenty of steps to be taken yet.
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