Zola: Chelsea defender Rudiger exceptional for victory over Watford | OneFootball

Chelsea hero Gianfranco Zola reserved special praise for Antonio Rudiger after Wednesday's win over Watford.

Zola was impressed with Rudiger's defensive solidity as Chelsea claimed a 2-1 win to remain top of the Premier League.

The Italian said: "Sometimes you don't play your best, either because you aren't in great form or the opposition puts you under pressure.

"But wins like this are important for the morale. Watford did everything they have to do, they started well and were competitive.

"I guess it shows what the Premier League is about when Chelsea bring on Ziyech and [Romelu] Lukaku. This is the difference between big teams like Chelsea and Watford.

"Chelsea defended so well from set pieces. Watford have big guys but they [the Chelsea defence] were always in good positions and Antonio Rudiger defended exceptionally well from set pieces.

"They won the game because of their great quality. I wouldn't say they stole the game."