It was a tightly fought encounter between the two sides and the fact that Heurelho Gomes, the Watford goalkeeper, earned the man of the match shows which side had the better of the chances, particularly in the second half. 

But even with Chelsea only taking a point from the game, Guus Hiddink's unbeaten run was extended and the Blues have now gone 10 games unbeaten, showing that real signs of progress are being made under the Dutchman. 

Old friend, new foe 

Hiddink heaped praise onto Gomes after the final whistle, saying that he "made some tremendous saves" and the Brazilian was "highly" deserving his man of the match honour. He previously managed the Brazilian at PSV, and it's clear he wasn't surprised by how well he played. 

His respect for Gomes aside, Hiddink is adamant that his side "deserved three points" from the game, especially in the "second half more than the first".

The Dutchman believed his side "dominated and controlled the game more" in the second period at Vicarage Road.

However, the interim boss is well aware that "this is not an league where you can easily win". Watford certainly put up a fight yesterday, in a game that Chelsea will have been realistically looking to win. 

Hiddink was pleased with how Costa dealt with the situation.
Hiddink was pleased with how Costa dealt with the situation.

Changes

Hiddink also spoke of the changes he has seen since his first game in charge this season. He admitted that his squad are certainly more "organised" and a little bit "more creative", even if they couldn't carve out a goal yesterday. 

Diego Costa's behaviour and attitude is another change that Hiddink believes is starting to take place. The striker was punched in the back during the clash with Watford, but his boss insists that he was "calm and in control", which is something that was rare previously. 

But the Chelsea manager will be wanting to see these positive changes turn into positive results on the pitch, as he looks to guide the club back to the top half of the table.

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About the author
Matthew Wilkinson
Huddersfield University in Sports Journalism. Twitter- MC_Wilkinson1