Guus Hiddink did not hold back in his assessment of the main flashpoint in tonight’s goalless draw between Watford and Chelsea, claiming Juan Carlos Paredes of punching Diego Costa in the back and trying to get the Spanish striker sent off.

The incident occurred in front of thdugouts at the end of the first half when both players were lining up to contest a ball. Paredes did make contact with the back of the former Atletico Madrid forward, who let out an audible yelp as he fell to the floor. Costa then grabbed the Ecuador international, who fell to the ground and rolled over rather theatrically.

Order was eventually restored and referee Mike Dean booked the pair and asked his view of the incident after the game, Hiddink said: “It was very clear because it was very close, it was just ten yards from our bench. Paredes punched Diego in his back and after that they stumbled, then Paredes brought his hands to his head and it was nowhere near his head.

“This is something that we must not do; it’s provocation to get someone else off the pitch. Happily, the referee and the assistant referee saw it and they didn’t go into this [fall for this] provocation. There was no way that Diego was close to his face.”

Hiddink had been rather more complimentary about a Watford player when giving his view on the game itself, praising his former PSV Eindhoven goalkeeper Heurelho Gomes for preventing what the Dutchman believed was a deserved win for the Blues.

“I am disappointed because we didn’t get the deserved three points,” said Hiddink. “My former goalie Gomes was nominated as man of the match and I think he deserves it because he made some tremendous saves in the last period of the game in which we were threatening to go for the win.

“In the second half we dominated more than in the first half where they had some periods of danger with their set pieces. We know they have very good set pieces, dangerous. Although they were not big, big chances, it was the only period where we had a little bit of a problem, but in the second half I think we deserved the win.

“We would have loved to have had the three points here but once more, I didn’t like what Gomes did tonight saving all those, let’s say two or three big chances.