Premier League champions Chelsea celebrated their title triumph by beating Watford 4-3 on Monday night. Departing skipper John Terry gave the hosts the lead before Etienne Capoue got the visitors back on level terms soon after. Cesar Azpilicueta and Michy Batshuayi then put Antonio Conte's side 3-1 up, but the Hornets were not one to surrender on the night as Daryl Janmaat and Stefano Okaka hit back to make it 3-3.
It was finally down to Cesc Fabregas to grab the winner, while Sebastian Prodl was sent off in stoppage time.
Watford held a guard of honour for Chelsea before kick-off yet were unable to prevent them emerging victorious at Stamford Bridge.
Eventful evening for Terry in penultimate Chelsea league game
Not much happened in the opening quarter of Monday's match, with both sets of players seeming to be more concerned with their summer travel plans than a rather meaningless end-of-season fixture. Terry, however, soon decided to liven things up: the Chelsea captain opened the scoring with a flick from a corner after the ball fell kindly at his feet, then contrived to inadvertently set up Capoue's equaliser a matter of seconds later.
The veteran has already confirmed he will be leaving Stamford Bridge when his contract expires at the end of June, although he is not quite ready to hang up his boots just yet. There is no doubt that the former England international is now past his best at the age of 36, but he remains a fine reader of the game, an excellent passer of the ball and the type of character that any manager would love to have in his dressing room.
It will be interesting to see where Terry ends up – his preference appears to be another Premier League club rather than a switch to MLS or the Chinese Super League - but for now, he will be looking forward to what should be a rapturous send-off against Sunderland on Sunday.
#2 Watford's solid yet unspectacular season approaches an end
Watford, like many teams in the Premier League, began the campaign with solidifying their place in the Premier League after a great first season back at the top. Crystal Palace's 4-0 thrashing of Hull City on Sunday meant the Hornets had secured survival before they took to the field here, yet there has not really been anything memorable about their season.
Perhaps that does not matter. Watford are not a club who have spent the majority of their history in the first division, so any extended period at the top table should be considered a brilliant achievement. The Pozzo family who owns the Hornets deserve great credit for having established the club in the Premier League, but they may hope for a little more entertainment next term.
In fairness, they certainly got that here; even against a rotated Chelsea line-up, scoring three goals is worthy of recognition - as is the fact that Watford have once again managed to stay up.
#3 Do Chelsea youngsters have a future at the club?
Having kept faith with a relatively settled starting XI for much of 2016/17, Conte rang the changes against Watford. Along with Terry, Nathan Ake, Kenedy, Kurt Zouma, Nathaniel Chalobah and Michy Batshuayi were handed rare opportunities from the first whistle, while Ola Aina appeared as a second-half substitute.
Ake was recalled from a loan at Bournemouth midway through the campaign and could become a more prominent member of the first-team squad next year, particularly as he can play in a number of different roles. Zouma could become a starter but it is unclear whether Kenedy will be involved, while Chalobah turns 23 in December and may want assurances about likely playing time in west London before he decides whether he wants to extend his deal beyond 2018. Batshuayi, meanwhile, will almost certainly remain at the club after his big-money move last summer.
Chelsea have received a fair amount of criticism for failing to make the most of their young players in recent years, and the situation may not get any better given the amount of cash Conte will have to spend when the transfer market reopens.
#4 Will Mazzarri be at Vicarage Road next season?
Watford are no strangers to managerial changes: Mazzarri is their eighth different boss since Sean Dyche's appointment six years ago. On one level, it would be harsh to sack the Italian given that he has kept the club in the Premier League, but the Pozzos have repeatedly demonstrated that they are willing to act if they believe there is a better alternative out there.
The fact that the owners were supposedly admirers of Mazzarri in Italy could help his cause, but you get that feeling that both players and fans would not be too disappointed if the ex-Napoli and Inter head coach was relieved of his duties in the next few weeks. Having said that, their performance on Monday was certainly not short on effort: Watford played well in patches and actually looked the more likely to grab the decisive seventh goal before Chelsea came on strong in the closing stages.
It could be the case, however, that the Watford hierarchy have already made up their mind on Mazzarri one way or the other.
#5 Chelsea miss chance to come close to record points tally
This victory over Watford moved Conte's charges up to 90 points, with Sunday's meeting with Sunderland their final fixture of the season. If they are able to defeat David Moyes' already relegated side as expected, they will end the season on 93 points - which would be the second-highest tally in Premier League history and only two fewer than the number Jose Mourinho amassed at Stamford Bridge in 2004/05.
It is a statistic which really emphasises just how impressive the Blues have been this season. Five other teams began the season with hopes - some stronger than others – of finishing on top of the pile, yet Chelsea have been considerably better than each of Tottenham Hotspur, Arsenal, Liverpool, Manchester City and Manchester United.
For Watford, the year ends at home to Manchester City on Sunday. Win and they could finish as high as 11th; lose and they might slip below Swansea CIty and into 17th spot in the standings.
