Chelsea head to Vicarage Road on Saturday afternoon for their second London derby showdown inside a week, as they take on Watford in a battle between two Italian managers.

The Blues kicked off their new era under Antonio Conte in a winning manner, courtesy of a late Diego Costa strike at Stamford Bridge, while the Hornets were left holding on with 10 men at Southampton as they claimed a decent opening-day draw on the south coast.

Watford

© Getty Images

While many backed Watford for relegation upon their promotion to the Premier League a little over a year ago, only to be proved completely wrong over the following months, not a lot was known about the Hornets heading into this latest campaign.

Quique Flores guided the club to 12th place in the top flight, but the Spaniard was to be shown the exit at the end of the season following a run that saw the Londoners win just four of their 24 games post-Christmas.

Experienced Italian coach Walter Mazzarri is the man now watching over things at Vicarage Road, becoming the club's seventh manager in the past four years, and he can be happy enough with his start to life in the Premier League following last week's 1-1 draw at Southampton.

The Hornets led in that one for some 50 minutes through Etienne Capoue's ninth-minute goal - the most unlikely of scorers for Watford at a time when many had questioned just who would chip in with goals this campaign to relieve some of the pressure on the prolific front-two pairing of Troy Deeney and Odion Ighalo.

With 38 goals and assists between them last season, it was vital that Mazzarri kept his star players at the club this summer which he has duly achieved by tying both down to new long-term deals.

More creativity is required, however, perhaps explaining reports this week that a £13m bid has been accepted by Juventus for midfielder Roberto Pereyra, who will join the likes of Isaac Success, Christian Kabasele, Brice Dja Djedje and Jerome Sinclair in moving to Hertfordshire should he indeed put pen to paper.

There has also been talk of Frenchman Younes Kaboul being brought in from Sunderland to shore up a defensive line that was very impressive at times last season, before collapsing late in the term once attention had been turned towards potential FA Cup success - eventually ended by Crystal Palace at the semi-final stage.

Plenty of positives for Mazzarri to take into his first home match as Hornets boss, then, but perhaps most intriguing of all will be his personal encounter with opposite number Conte - a man with whom he has previously had disputes during their time together in Italy.

Mazzarri has won just one of the seven meetings between the two, and this weekend that rivalry - thought to centre around Conte 'copying' his elder's three-at-the-back tactics in the past - will resume following a two-year absence.

Premier League form: D

Chelsea

© Getty Images

Arguably the most fascinating aspect of new boss Conte's first game as Chelsea manager on the opening matchday of the campaign - a 2-1 win over West Ham United - was his decision to go with a 3-4-3 formation.

What was expected to be a 4-1-4-1, with Costa leading the line, soon transformed at Stamford Bridge with both full-backs being told to get high up the pitch to support Eden Hazard and Willian in the final third.

Conte arrived in West London renowned for his ability to tinker with formations and get the best out of players available to him, as witnessed earlier this summer with Italy, and that has been backed up by the fact that just one new face appeared in Monday's starting lineup.

A combined £60m has been spent to bring Michy Batshuayi and N'Golo Kante to the club, but it was only the latter who was given the nod for the Blues in front of the back four in that late win over the Hammers.

For all of the talk about Kante's ability to break up play, the key figure on the night - as has so often been the case over the past two years - was marksman Costa, who popped up with a late winner to take his August tally for Chelsea up to six in eight outings and 33 league goals overall since joining from Atletico Madrid.

Hazard is the only player who comes close to matching those figures, and there were glimmers of the Belgian forward of old at Stamford Bridge when darting inside - boosted by the full-back support on the outside - to cause the Hammers problems.

Conte will likely keep things the same for this second London derby in a week, looking to get the best out of the likes of Hazard, Costa and last season's Player of the Year in Willian, although Cesc Fabregas could be given a reprieve after being left out for the season opener.

Oscar and Nemanja Matic looked ponderous in possession at times, which could also see one of Europe's most creative talents brought back in to help break down what is likely to be a stubborn Watford backline at Vicarage Road, as Conte looks to extend a run that has seen him lose just one of his last 31 club league games at both Juventus and Chelsea.

Premier League form: W

Team News

© Getty Images

There was a real familiar look to Chelsea's starting lineup at Stamford Bridge on Monday, albeit with one key addition in the middle, and that is likely to remain the same until more new players are brought in.

John Obi Mikel remains with Nigeria at the Olympic Games, while Kurt Zouma is a long-term absentee at the back, but the big talking point will come further up the pitch where questions still remain over Fabregas's future.

A second omission in succession will only intensify rumours of a move abroad, possibly to Real Madrid, with Oscar the man likely to be most at risk of dropping out.

As far the hosts are concerned, Ben Watson will miss out as a result of his straight red card against Southampton, which Mazzarri claimed was "unlucky" on his side's behalf at a time when they were back on top at St Mary's.

Summer arrivals Dja Djedje and Success remain injury doubts, but Mazzarri will have both strikers to choose from up top as well as Heurelho Gomes in goal - the division's most active keeper in terms of keeping out shots since the start of last season.

Watford possible starting lineup:
Gomes; Cathcart, Prodl, Britos; Amrabat, Guedioura, Behrami, Capoue, Holebas; Deeney, Ighalo

Chelsea possible starting lineup:
Courtois; Azpilicueta, Terry, Cahill, Ivanovic; Kante; Oscar, Matic, Willian; Hazard; Costa

Head To Head

These two sides have faced off three times at Vicarage Road in the Premier League, with both sides sharing one win apiece and drawing the other.

Watford's victory came in September 1999 when claiming a 1-0 triumph through Allan Smart's goal, although that is their only win over Chelsea of any sort - both home and away - in their last 15 meetings.

The Blues have only managed one goal at Vicarage Road in their three trips there in the Premier League era, meanwhile, coming courtesy of Salomon Kalou's 90th-minute winner nine years ago.

We say: Watford 0-2 Chelsea

Already there appears to be far more togetherness in the Chelsea ranks, no doubt bolstered by that late Costa strike last time out, and they could do with some momentum to completely banish last season's woes. Watford will have something to say about that, of course, but getting the better of a Blues side potentially back to their best under Conte will be a very tough ask at this early stage of the campaign.

Previews by email