Chelsea managed to spare their blushes against Watford with a late turnaround to take all three points. Michy Batshuyi was the star as he came off the bench to score twice in the club’s 4-2 victory, but the Blues’ defence will come under the microscope after another poor display.

Last season, Antonio Conte was praised for how he coached the team’s back three. He had them well-drilled and they were difficult to break down. However, they have struggled at the beginning of the new campaign.

A major reason for that has been the injuries and suspensions the side have had to deal with. Conte hasn’t been able to select a settled back three, while the addition of Champions League matches means that the Italian has had to rotate his wing-backs.

A significant factory behind the success of last campaign was the familiarity of the players selected. They were able to grow as a unit, but the constant changing to the starting eleven this season has prevented Chelsea from maintaining that feeling of continuity.

On Saturday, they conceded 16 shots to Watford. Although the Hornets are one of the better sides outside of the top six, Chelsea a lot more talent at their disposal and they should not be getting out-shot in the fixture.

The visitors created a number of clear-cut chances and could have scored more than two on the day, if Richarlison had his shooting boots on.

It wasn’t that Chelsea were being cut open by excellent attacking play, but simple interchanging from the Watford front three caused problems. The back three seemed unable to cope, especially for a 15-minute period after half-time.

Considering the amount of work that Conte does on the training ground when it comes to organising the defence, this performance will be a real concern.

Chelsea have played 13 matches in all competitions this season and kept only four clean sheets. For a side that was praised for its defensive solidity last season, this is a huge decline and one that suggests they are unlikely to be a serious contender for the title.

Their record throughout the season so far is poor, but the last seven days has highlighted their lack of confidence at the back as they have conceded seven goals in three matches.

The international break came at a poor time for Chelsea and they have yet to find their stride since returning. The injury to N’Golo Kante was a huge blow and may explain why the side is currently struggling to keep goals out.

The Frenchman is crucial to them and nobody can replace what he offers in the centre of the park. He does the work of two midfielders and that is what allows the 3-4-3 formation to work.

Taking the last week into account, it is now time to consider the future of the Chelsea defenders in your Draft Fantasy team.

At the beginning of the season, they seemed like great pick-ups, but their inability to contribute clean sheet points regularly means that they have lost a lot of value.

Tottenham, Manchester United and Manchester City defenders all look to be better options in Draft Fantasy at the time of writing. The likes of Marcos Alonso and Cesar Azpilicueta are worth keeping for their attacking potential, but the rest should be offloaded.

This Chelsea defence can no longer be trusted.