Photo: Sky Sports

Antonio Conte is now under severe pressure and his job seems to be at risk after the 4-1 defeat against Watford. Chelsea are now 19 points behind runaway leaders Manchester City and face a daunting task to qualify for next season’s Champions League.

Jose Mourinho was sacked as Chelsea boss in similar circumstances in 2015 after losing 9 of his last 16 matches, and former Liverpool defender turned pundit Jamie Carragher believes Conte might have lost the support of his dressing room just as the Portuguese manager had.

He told Sky Sports: “You have to look at again, as we saw with Mourinho, is there now a discord between the players and the manager?”

“The players may have let him down and that may be his feeling but to lose to Bournemouth 3-0 and to go to Watford and lose 4-1, for Chelsea that’s not good.

“It was a shambles really.

“Watford, even 11 against 11, were by far the better team and should have been a goal or two up.

“Second half Chelsea had a bit of possession but never looked like scoring apart from a piece of brilliance from Eden Hazard.

“However, as soon as Watford stepped they just fell apart at the back and that is nothing that you associate with Conte teams.”