Watford 2-1 Leicester

Watford 2-1 Leicester

Home team scorers
Etienne Capoue 1
Roberto Pereyra 12

Away team scorers
Riyad Mahrez 15 Pen

Claudio Ranieri’s hopes of restoring the champions’ solidity on the road?

Gone in 33 seconds here. That was how long it took Étienne Capoue to open the scoring for Watford, who quickly increased their lead thanks to a lovely goal by Roberto Pereyra. Riyad Mahrez converted a penalty for Leicester but the champions could not avoid a fifth defeat from six Premier League away matches this season. The defence of their title is beginning to bear an uncomfortable resemblance to a struggle against relegation. After 12 matches Leicester are two points above the bottom three.

Leicester kicked off as if intending to ease themselves into the game. That was a liberty that Watford were not willing to give them. The hosts seized possession almost immediately and Pereyra embarked on a wriggly run down the left before clipping in a dangerous cross. Troy Deeney helped it on with a canny header and Capoue arrived to volley it into the net from 16 yards. It was a severe rebuke to the dozing visitors and the latest proof of Capoue’s increased deadliness from midfield: the Frenchman did not score at all last season but this was his fifth goal of this campaign.

Watford had been trounced 6-1 by Liverpool in their last outing before the international break and their manager, Walter Mazzarri, had ordered his players to channel their anger at that result into their performance here. They seemed intent on doing just that, which was bad news for any Leicester player hoping the hosts would lower the intensity after their early goal.

Instead Watford, far more fluent and robust than the disjointed visitors, helped themselves to a second goal in the 12th minute. It was a work of beauty, too, and Pererya was again instrumental down the left. This time the Argentinian turned sharply past Danny Drinkwater and curled a delicious shot beyond Ron-Robert Zieler and into the net from the left-hand corner of the box.

Drinkwater was included in the starting lineup after passing a late fitness test but he and Daniel Amartey were regularly bypassed in the opening stages as Leicester reeled. Falling two goals behind finally provoked a reaction from the champions, who pulled a goal back in the 15th minute thanks to the Mahrez penalty. The spot-kick had been awarded for a foul on Jamie Vardy despite Miguel Britos protesting that the striker had simply used an untidy challenge as an invitation to tumble. The home crowd made similar claims for the rest of the match, booing every decision given against Watford by referee Neil Swarbrick, who later booked Britos for nagging.

Leicester enjoyed a period of cohesion midway through the first half and began to corral Watford into their own half. But that pressure did not last and the hosts came close to extending their lead when Younès Kaboul met a corner by Capoue. But the defender, after outjumping Morgan, headed wide from six yards. When Robert Huth misjudged a header in the 38th minute, Deeney retrieved the ball and ran free down the right. His subsequent pass towards the unmarked Nordin Amrabat was a matter of millimetres too long, otherwise Zieler would surely have been required to save Leicester from falling further behind.

Leicester located their mojo during the interval and re-emerged as a side that at least looked related to last season’s champions. But although they forced Watford into retreat they seldom bothered Heurelho Gomes. Islam Slimani, an aerial menace, might have profited from all the crosses at Leicester delivered in the second half if he had been on the pitch rather than resting after a week on international duty.

Watford were the first to come close to scoring in the second half thanks to strong work down the right by Amrabat, who rounded Christian Fuchs and fed Daryl Janmaaat, who calmly deposited the ball on to the head of Pereyra. The forward’s header from close-range was much more central than it should have been but still demanded a terrific save from Zieler.

Ranieri made a double substitution in the 68th minute in effort to perk up his team’s attack, introducing Jeffrey Schlupp and Demarai Gray for Fuchs and Shinji Okazaki. Ten minutes later he threw on Ahmed Musa for Marc Albrighton. Then, at last, Leicester began to threaten an equaliser. But Watford were not about to let them off the hook, their defenders making repeated last-ditch blocks to protect their lead and secure a victory that, all told, the home side deserved.

Guardian