Maddison, who has tormented the Hornets all game, gets Leicester’s first booking late in the match for time wasting.
90' +2
Chilwell, who has been impressive throughout, has his run down the left stopped by the away defence, and the loose ball falls to Maddison who curls one from just outside the box but for Foster to comfortably catch it.
90'
É. Capoue goes off after a red card!
Capoue and Iheanacho go for the same ball, but both are down after the challenge. The Watford midfielder lunges in two-footed though despite only making contact with the ball, and is given a straight red card by the referee! Watford down to 10 men as the final whistle draws near!
Four minutes of stoppage time are to be played.
88'
Ndidi is encouraged to have a go from outside the area by the crowd as he drives towards goal, but his shot is wild and goes well wide of Foster’s goal.
Andre Gray ends a Watford attack by ballooning the ball after getting a head on Femenia’s attempt to get it back into the danger area after the home defence were split apart by a good Doucoure ball. Leicester get the goal kick.
85'
I. Success gets yellow.
Maddison’s set-piece is comfortably cleared away though, but Success shows his frustration as his high foot takes out Albrighton as both players attempted to go for a bouncing ball. He gets Watford’s first booking for his troubles.
84'
Iborra enters the game and replaces J. Evans.
Evans makes way for Iborra in Leicester’s final change of the game.
83'
Iheanacho has the ball on his own in the Watford half and attempts a run at goal, but the Watford defence quickly catch up to the Nigeria forward. Ndidi attempts to support him, but the Hornets regroup and concede a corner.
80'
Andre Gray gets away from Soyuncu, but Mendy is able to support his team-mate and concedes a corner in the process. Holebas’ delivery lands at the roof of Schmeichel’s net though, and Leicester get a goal kick.
78'
Foster just about gets to the ball before Maddison as the latter is about to reach another Leicester long ball from deep.
Minute
Description
77'
The substitute Chalobah immediately gets into the action, forcing Evans to concede a corner. The set-piece is flicked away by captain Morgan and eventually falls towards Doucoure, but his half-volley from just outside the box sails high and wide of goal.
76'
N. Chalobah enters the game and replaces W. Hughes.
Chalobah comes on for Hughes in Gracia's final change of the match.
72'
K. Ịheanachọ enters the game and replaces J. Vardy.
Vardy gets a standing ovation from the King Power faithful as he comes off in place of Iheanacho.
70'
Maddison tries to pick out an onrushing Albrighton with a pin-point throughball, but Foster is able to smother the ball just before the winger is able to get any kind of touch to it.
69'
Ç. Söyüncü enters the game and replaces D. Gray.
Demarai Gray comes off for Soyuncu in Puel’s first change of the match as they look to shore things up at the back.
68'
Vardy brilliantly takes down Chilwell’s long pass with one touch, but he is quickly crowded out by Mariappa and Cathcart. He gets the ball back, but the away defence regain their lines and the ball goes out for a Watford throw-in.
65'
Pereira makes two last-ditch challenges to clear more Watford danger, and Leicester are looking more rattled as full-time draws near!
63'
Holebas’ delivery is punched away by Schmeichel, and Leicester regroup.
62'
M. Albrighton gets yellow.
Albrighton picks up the game’s first booking for a blatant handball out on the left-wing. Watford get another free-kick from a decent position.
55'
A. Gray enters the game and replaces Deulofeu.
T. Deeney enters the game and replaces R. Pereyra.
Gracia makes his first change of the match, with Deulofeu making way for Andre Gray.
Gracia also brings on club stalwart Deeney for Pereyra, throwing everything but the kitchen sink up front in an attempt to salvage anything from this.
50'
Mendy beautifully spreads the ball out wide to Pereira, but his cross is cleared away with Watford intending to break. Success gives the ball away though and Leicester attempt a counter of their own only for Mariappa to intercept amidst Foxes’ protests for a handball.
47'
Vardy is quick to pounce on a seemingly asleep Watford defence after being put through by Albrighton, but the visitors quickly recover and clear the ball away.
46'
Leicester get play restarted as the second half gets underway!
No player changes for either side after the break, as Puel and Gracia retain the same formations they had set their teams out in before the match.
45' +1
HALF-TIME: LEICESTER CITY 2-0 WATFORD
45'
One minute of added time is to be played.
Deulofeu and Holebas stand over the ball, and it’s the former who attempts a speculative strike only to see it sail over the bar. Opportunity wasted there.
44'
Watford, desperate to find a goal before the interval, are spending more time in the final third but are unable to break Morgan and Evans down. They do get a free-kick though as Chilwell fouls Hughes about 30 yards away from the box.
40'
It’s a better effort this time, as the free-kick was difficult for Leicester to deal with as Morgan concedes the corner. However, Evans is able to clear another Holebas corner away and Vardy attempts to get on the end of a long ball upfield. The Hornets though quickly regain their shape and they eventually win a throw-in after the Foxes fluff their lines.
39'
Holebas has an opportunity to swing in a free-kick to his team-mates from a promising position, but his set-piece is immediately headed away by Vardy. Watford get the throw-in, but Femenia is not afforded any time and space on the ball as he gets crowded out by Demarai Gray and Mendy. Play ends when Success is brought down by Ndidi, affording Holebas another opportunity from a similar position.
35'
Demarai Gray tries to make it 3-0 after Doucoure cheaply gives the ball away to Maddison and is fed by his team-mate, but his shot from outside the box is deflected by Cathcart and goes out for a corner.
33'
Femenia plays a pass forward as Watford try to get some rhythm going, but the ball trickles away and out for a throw-in.
30'
Pereyra finds the onrushing Doucoure in the box, but his cut-back is blocked by Morgan as Watford get the ball back. They attempt to play it around in midfield before attempting to release Deulofeu, but Schmeichel goes down and smothers the ball.
23'
J. Maddison has scored a goal for Leicester City! Assist by M. Albrighton.
Albrighton deserves a ton of credit for his quick thinking as he was able to spot Maddison running from the other wing, capping off an excellent Foxes break.
GOOOAAALLL! MADDISON DOUBLES LEICESTER’S LEAD! Another Leicester counter-attack starts with Vardy laying the ball out to Albrighton who crosses it towards the onrushing Maddison. The midfielder takes three touches amid a crowd of Watford defenders behind him before unleashing a brilliant volley past Foster! 2-0 to the Foxes, and Gracia’s men have it all to do!
20'
Holebas aims for Success in the six-yard area, but the ball is slightly punched away from him by Schmeichel as Deulofeu concedes another corner. However, the referee blows his whistle and it’s advantage Foxes as they get a free-kick.
19'
Success tries to put Pereyra through on the break but his poor pass is intercepted much to his frustration, and another Leicester break ends with a cross being headed away. However, Watford get the ball back and launch into a counter of their own but Chilwell is able to get the ball behind for a corner.
16'
Deulofeu tries to conjure up something on his own, but Mendy is on to him and dispossesses him to the appreciation of the home faithful. Some good Leicester play ends with another Watford clearance as the visitors struggle to get a groove going in the match.
12'
Penalty goal scored by J. Vardy for Leicester City!
GOOAAALLL! LEICESTER GET THE LEAD! A typical Vardy penalty as he hits it with power and confidence, sending Foster the wrong way! 1-0 to the Foxes, and the King Power Stadium is already rocking!
7'
Demarai Gray ends some neat football from the home side by taking a poor touch after quick interchanges down their left-hand side. Watford get the goal kick.
6'
In a flash though, Demarai Gray breaks down his left-hand side and causes some panic for the Watford defence. His ball falls towards Maddison, whose hit is blocked away for Leicester’s first corner. However, the danger is quickly dealt with.
5'
Hughes releases Deulofeu who gets in the Leicester box, but runs out of ideas and eventually cuts it back to Pereyra who feeds Doucoure, whose shot is deflected away for the game’s first corner. Holebas’ corner is flicked towards the six-yard area, but the home defence clear their lines and regroup.
2'
Holebas, who missed last week’s defeat against Liverpool, breaks down the left but his cross is overhit and Schmeichel watches it sail away from his goal.
1'
Both teams are decked out in their usual colours, with Leicester in their traditional all-blue and Watford decked in their yellow-and-black striped shirts and black shorts.
Referee Graham Scott blows his whistle, and Watford get us underway at the King Power Stadium!
Hello, and welcome to our LIVE coverage of this Premier League match as Leicester City host Watford at the King Power Stadium!
Only two points separate 10th-placed Leicester from their visitors, currently sitting one spot above them. Claude Puel’s Foxes will hope to use their midweek EFL Cup penalty shootout win over Southampton along with their comeback draw against Brighton last weekend to inspire them to a first league victory on home turf for over two months. And they couldn’t have asked for better opponents than a team who had never gained so much as a Premier League point in four previous trips.
SUBSTITUTES: Danny Ward, Christian Fuchs, Caglar Soyuncu, Vicente Iborra, Fousseni Diabate, Kelechi Iheanacho, Shinji Okazaki.
LEICESTER CITY XI (4-2-3-1): Kasper Schmeichel; Ricardo Pereira, Wes Morgan (c), Jonny Evans, Ben Chilwell; Nampalys Mendy, Wilfred Ndidi; Demarai Gray, James Maddison, Marc Albrighton; Jamie Vardy.
With 15 minutes to go before kick-off, let’s take a look at how both sides line up, starting with the hosts.
SUBSTITUTES: Heurelho Gomes, Christian Kabasele, Adam Masina, Nathaniel Chalobah, Ken Sema, Troy Deeney, Andre Gray.
WATFORD XI (4-2-2-2): Ben Foster; Kiko Femenia, Adrian Mariappa (c), Craig Cathcart, Jose Holebas; Abdoulaye Doucoure, Etienne Capoue; Will Hughes, Roberto Pereyra; Gerard Deulofeu, Isaac Success.
After a superb start to the season, the Hornets have lost some of their momentum in a run that has seen them score only once in their last three matches, culminating in a 3-0 thrashing by Liverpool in front of the Vicarage Road faithful. With their away form not much to shout about either, having kept one clean sheet in their last 12 games on the road, Javi Gracia would need to tighten things up at the back for his side to stand a good chance at grabbing something at a venue where they haven’t had much success at to say the least.
The players are out and kick-off is drawing near as the home crowd ramps up the noise.
Puel will have the easiest of team talks, as his side have ticked all of the boxes in a ruthless first-half display. Vardy’s pace has troubled Mariappa and company throughout, and Maddison makes up for last weekend’s dismissal with a brilliant goal to cap off an excellent counter-attack. With Morgan and Evans in solid form, Puel should be confident that his energetic team can see this game out after the interval.
Despite having more of the ball, the King Power Stadium continues to be a bogey venue for the Hornets as they have been unable to stamp any authority against their hosts. Doucoure and Capoue have struggled against their opposite numbers, and Success should’ve equalised when put through on goal. They had a slight improvement just before the break, but Gracia’s charges will need to do more to come away with anything in this match.
And that wraps up our coverage. We hope you enjoyed our commentary, and until next time, goodbye!
Next up for Leicester is a midweek trip down to Craven Cottage to face bottom-of-the-table Fulham - managed by Claudio Ranieri, the man who famously guided the Foxes to Premier League glory - on Wednesday, while struggling Watford have a task on their hands a day beforehand when they host the rampant Manchester City at Vicarage Road.
Commentary
More…