Keeping Watford’s collective feet on the ground is one of the new, unintended side-effects of the Hornets’ meteoric start to the season, Marco Silva has revealed.

For some Watford players, the idea of being fourth in the Premier League, as the table settles from its embryonic chaos into a more defined chart of progression, would be beyond any expectations they could have thought up during pre-season.

Players like Tom Cleverley, Younes Kaboul and Heurelho Gomes have history in and around the Champions League places, and so despite Watford’s relative size to their former teams, it is far from unfamiliar territory.

But for others, Silva has revealed he has to keep a closer eye on the thought of getting carried away with just how well the Hornets have done. 

Because registering the second-best top flight start in the club’s history with eight games gone, and Manchester City, Arsenal and Liverpool out of the way - for this half of the season at least - is mighty impressive.

But Silva is all about the here-and-now, and demands exactly the same of his players, especially with a lunchtime date with Chelsea at Stamford Bridge on Saturday.

“I want everyone calm when we talk about it,” he said. “It’s fair to analyse what we’re doing now, because in the first eight games we’ve done really well but it’s far too early. 

“I want everyone to have their feet on the floor and everything changes too fast, so you need to keep going and work hard in each game. That’s the most important thing to us.

“Of course, it’s really good when we see the table and the position we are in at the moment, but it’s far too early so it’s not important. For now, everyone in the club and the fans know what our goal is. 

“I don’t change one word I’ve spoken since the first day, and game-by-game we work to prepare for the next game in the best way. 

“Our ambition as a team is for each match, and everyone knows it’s not important what position we are now – but of course, at the end of the season it would be fantastic.”

It doesn’t get any easier for the Hornets, after turning over the three-time Premier League champions at Vicarage Road last weekend, with the current title holders to come in their own back yard tomorrow.

But Chelsea are not the force of nature they once were; three defeats already, two in the league, is not how Antonio Conte envisaged this season starting.

And the Blues could be without four central midfielders tomorrow - a position they have already been found wanting - which will certainly help Watford’s hopes of another upset.

However, Silva admits he only knows one style - to compete - and insists whatever the situation, the Hornets would be going to Stamford Bridge fully aiming for a victory which would turn heads even further towards the fledgling success emerging in Hertfordshire.

“I don’t talk about ambition because we go to compete at Stamford Bridge,” he said.

“They’re the favourites, but in football the last result is really important for one team, but for Chelsea the players they have can decide a match in one minute. 

“They are the champions, but it’s one more game and we will prepare in the same way like we did against Arsenal and West Brom."