Chelsea move up to third as jeers turn into cheers

Chelsea moved into third place in the English Premiership as a quick-fire blitz from Ruben Loftus-Cheek and David Luiz inspired a vital 3-0 win over Watford last night.

Maurizio Sarri's side were booed off after a sloppy first half, but two goals in three minutes from Loftus-Cheek and Luiz lifted the mood at Stamford Bridge.

Gonzalo Higuain added the third, which meant Chelsea are now one point clear of fourth-placed Tottenham after their first win in four games in all competitions.

Chelsea were also indebted to a stunning save from Kepa Arrizabalaga early on.

The Spanish goalkeeper showed why Sarri dropped him for only one match following that Wembley rebellion as he leapt high to his right to brilliantly claw away Troy Deeney's header from a Jose Holebas cross.

Adding to a concerning start for Chelsea, they lost France midfielder N'Golo Kante to injury after 10 minutes.

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Loftus-Cheek, who started on the bench despite impressing in last week's 1-1 draw at Eintracht Frankfurt in their Europa League semi-final, first leg, came on for Kante, but they were still off the pace.

Things changed after the break when Loftus-Cheek rose above Nathaniel Chalobah to head home Eden Hazard's cross in the 48th minute.

Playing with more verve and belief now, Chelsea struck again from another corner three minutes later as Hazard's delivery was met by Luiz with a thumping header past Ben Foster.

Higuain put the result beyond doubt when he clipped a delicate finish over Foster from a tight angle.

Following Arsenal's 1-1 draw with Brighton this morning (Singapore time), the Blues have secured their spot in the top four and a return to Champions League football. - REUTERS