Anyway, that’s your lot. Jacob Steinberg was at Vicarage Road to witness a textbook late bloomer. Here’s his report. Enjoy ... and thanks for reading this MBM.
Leicester remain third in the Premier League table on 54 points. A chance to put a little pressure on second-placed Manchester City was spurned; they’re six back on Pep’s reigning champions. Watford meanwhile have a precious point that keeps them out of the relegation zone. Had the match ended 0-1, they would have slipped to 18th, but as things stand they move above West Ham into 17th, a point ahead on 28.
Craig Dawson, grinning like the proverbial cream-covered cat speaks. “Yeah it was obviously a great goal and an important point for us. It’s something you practice in training, and obviously it doesn’t go in very often, but I’m delighted with my first goal. The lads worked ever so hard and it was good to get the point in the end. It was disappointing to concede, but great spirit from the lads to go up the other end and get the equaliser. We stuck at it. Great point!”
They’re not perfect matches ... but they’ll give you some idea. This classic isn’t a million miles away from Chilwell’s goal ...
... while Dawson’s strike was in the same ballpark as this.
FULL TIME: Watford 1-1 Leicester City
Leicester will be sick, but in truth that’s the fair result. Both teams attacked, created plenty of chances, and were rewarded with a pair of absolute crackers. Nigel Pearson and Brendan Rodgers seem to agree, smiling warmly as they embrace at the final whistle.
90 min +5: Worth waiting for, huh?
ANOTHER BRILLIANT GOAL! Watford 1-1 Leicester City (Dawson 90+3)
The corner clanks off Kabasele, ten yards out. It flies forward to Dawson, who has his back to goal. Dawson swivels and sends an overhead kick powerfully towards the bottom left. Schmeichel sticks out an arm, but can only deflect it into the top left. The acrobatic effort was so sweetly struck, the keeper had no chance!
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90 min +3: Some head tennis in the Leicester box, and Ndidi is forced to concede a corner. It’s sent in, and ...
90 min +2: Deeney is at the centre of a penalty box scramble, but he can’t shift his feet to poke a shot goalwards.
90 min +1: Watford have five added minutes to salvage a point.
PEARLER! Watford 0-1 Leicester City (Chilwell 90)
Gray, out on the right, sprays a diagonal pass towards Chilwell out on the left. He takes one touch, and arrows a rising shot across Foster, off the top of the right-hand post, and into the net! The moment that left his boot, it was always going in. What a strike!
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89 min: Sarr robs Justin out on the left, but then races ahead of the ball to give possession back to Leicester. And then ...
88 min: Watford make their final change. Holebas comes on for Masina.
87 min: Much better from Chilwell this time, as he hooks into a crowded box. Dawson extends a leg to stab clear with Vardy lurking.
86 min: Evans finds Chilwell down the left with a glorious crossfield pass. Chilwell shanks his cross pitifully into the stand behind the goal. He cocks his head back, a Pez dispenser of frustration.
85 min: Kabasele guards the ball out on the right, and buys a cheap free kick off a clumsy Maddison. A free kick, and a chance to load the box. Hughes curls it towards Deeney, but Soyuncu wins the battle and Leicester clear.
83 min: That’s Albrighton’s last contribution of the afternoon. He’s replaced by Iheanacho.
81 min: Leicester are dominating now. Watford are sitting back, a little too deep. It’s possible they’ve decided one point is so precious they’re best not to roll the dice for three. But it’s a dangerous game. Albrighton wins a corner down the right. Foster plucks it from the sky, but Hornet hearts would have been in mouths for a second there.
79 min: Perhaps unsurprisingly, the play’s a little bit disjointed all of a sudden.
77 min: Three changes for Watford. Femenia, Capoue and Doucoure are replaced by Cleverley, Chalobah and Mariappa. This is like the rugby, or the aftermath of a half-time Mourinho tantrum.
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76 min: Nothing comes of the Leicester corner, and Tielemans is replaced by Chowdhury.
75 min: Gray shimmies in from the left and rolls the ball towards Albrighton on the right. Albrighton creams a rising effort towards the top right; it’s beaten Foster all ends up, but crashes off the inside of the post, across the front of goal, and away. Leicester come again, Maddison pearling a low shot towards the bottom right. Foster fingertips around the post spectacularly. Two astonishing efforts! How did that Albrighton one, in particular, not go in?!
73 min: Both teams are trying to get on the front foot in search of the opening goal. Maddison nearly forces a pass down the left to spring Gray clear; Welbeck drives down the middle on an attempted break. Nothing coming off yet, but this game doesn’t deserve to end goalless.
71 min: The game restarts, everyone refreshed. It’s the taste!
69 min: Watford make their first change: Welbeck for Pereyra. And that’s drinks!
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68 min: Vardy chases a speculative pass down the right. He gets there, but there’s nobody in support, and he’s visibly frustrated at the lack of options. But he holds the ball up, and it’s eventually shifted wide left for Gray, who cuts inside and attempts a curler towards the top right. It’s high and wide, but not egregiously so.
67 min: Gray’s immediately in the thick of it, demanding the ball and firing a pass wide right for Justin, whose low cross is well dealt with by Dawson.
65 min: A straight swap for Leicester City, as Barnes is replaced out on the left wing by Gray.
63 min: Leicester are beginning to work their way back into this, after a quiet start to the second half. Maddison probes down the right and wins a corner. His surprise low pullback is missed by Deeney and Vardy, who both take fresh-air swipes, but eventually Watford clear.
61 min: Maddison’s delivery is delicious, dipping towards the far post. Soyuncu should head home from six yards, but knocks it down and left of the target. Soyuncu’s header might have brushed Dawson’s flailing arm, but the Leicester man looked offside, so it’s all moot.
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60 min: Justin waltzes down the right and is lightly brushed by Deeney. He goes down and wins a very generous free kick. Maddison will take this, with the box loaded.
58 min: Hughes and Pereyra nearly open Leicester up out on the left. Not quite, but the hosts are asking most of the questions here. Leicester may make a change soon, with Gray sent out to warm up.
56 min: Sarr backs himself in a footrace with Chilwell. It’s no contest. Sarr whips in from the right. Pereyra claims to have been impeded at the far post by a light Justin shove, but the referee isn’t interested at all. No penalty.
54 min: Hughes slides a ball down the left for Pereyra, who drops a shoulder and creams a shot-cum-cross goalwards. A combination of Schmeichel and several of his defenders manage to deflect the ball away from danger. Leicester stream up the other end, Vardy haring after a long pass, and nearly getting there too. But Foster comes out of his area to acrobatically clear. No goals, but it’s good fun, this.
52 min: Barnes, Chilwell and Maddison combine smoothly down the left. Maddison prepares to burst into space, but he’s cheekily clipped by Capoue. Nothing that earns a booking; it’s smart but cynical. The wind is removed from the Leicester sail.
50 min: Watford go so close again! Sarr clips a cute ball down the right to send Kiko scampering towards the byline. Kiko loops towards the far post, where Deeney rises above Justin to win a header he had no right to win. His powerful downwards header bounces inches wide of the left-hand post. Had that been on target, Schmeichel was beaten. Watford have had their chances today!
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48 min: Leicester are pressing forward. But they lose possession. Capoue rakes a fine direct long pass to release Sarr, who flies clear of Chilwell and Soyuncu. It looks like the opening goal’s a-coming, but Sarr’s attempt to slip the ball past Schmeichel is denied by a strong left arm. What a save! Even so, Watford should be leading.
47 min: Tielemans dribbles gently down the middle, having been sent scampering forward by a fine midfield-splitting Maddison pass. He’s upended, so this is a chance for Maddison to send a dead ball whistling goalwards ... but he blooters it straight into the wall.
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We go again! Watford get the second half underway. No changes. “Having watched the impending calamity that is Victor Lindelof yesterday, it’s striking how solid and reliable Jonny Evans looks week in, week out at Leicester,” begins rhetorical questioning’s Justin Kavanagh. “A pro’s career is a lot about timing, I suppose, but when you think about the money they’ve spent on defenders since 2015, wouldn’t Manchester United have been a lot better served if they’d just hung onto Evans?” In a television studio somewhere, a former United captain nods his head sadly.
More half-time entertainment. We’re really spoiling you today. Here’s our new Forgotten Stories podcast series. Get on it, you won’t regret it.
Half-time entertainment. The Championship has restarted today. Catch up with what’s been going on ... but don’t forget to come back, y’all.
HALF TIME: Watford 0-0 Leicester City
Just enough time for Sarr, set clear by a stunning diagonal pass from Hughes, to sling yet another ball in from the right. Pereyra and Kabasele get in each other’s way at the far post, and a magnificent chance is spurned. And that’s the end of the opening period. Leicester started strongly, but Watford were the team carving out chances towards the end of the half. A fourth consecutive 2-1 win for Watford in this particular fixture is still on.
45 min +2: Maddison can’t beat the first man and it’s an easy clearing header for Kiko Femenia.
45 min +1: Soyuncu sprays a pass wide right for Albrighton, who earns a corner off Masina. Maddison will take.
45 min: There will be three added minutes, the majority of it for the drinks break.
44 min: The half begins to peter out.
42 min: Sarr rips past Chilwell as though the £60m Chelsea transfer target wasn’t there. He reaches the byline and pulls back, but to nobody in particular, allowing Chilwell to redeem himself by calmly wandering off with the ball.
41 min: The free kick’s looped into the mixer. Dawson wins a big header to the left of the Leicester D. The ball bounces towards Schmeichel, who eventually snaffles, although Pereyra nearly got there first with a cheeky toe.
40 min: Maddison’s deep delivery is easily cleared by Watford. Doucoure attempts to break down the right, and is caught by the cynical leg of Tielemans, who becomes the first player to go into the referee’s notebook.
39 min: Maddison and Barnes take turns to probe purposefully down the left. Both players think about shooting, but take too long about it. But Leicester keep working the ball, and Masina is panicked into flipping Justin into the air out on the right. Free kick.
37 min: Maddison whips dangerously towards the far post. Deeney contorts acrobatically to back-head clear from close range. That’s a brilliant clearing header. Evans tries to keep things going for Leicester by crossing from the left, but it’s easy meat for Foster.
36 min: Albrighton dribbles with purpose down the right, earning a corner. From which ...
34 min: A snap shot by Doucoure from the edge of the box. It flies over the bar. Then Watford come again, Deeney breathing down Ndidi’s neck, forcing the Leicester midfielder to miscontrol. The ball breaks to Doucoure, who is suddenly one on one with Schmeichel. Doucoure slams it straight at the keeper, who should nevertheless still get credit for saving with his legs. The best chance of the match so far.
33 min: Pereyra’s free kick instigates a comic-book cloud with arms and legs sticking out of it. At some point unclear to the human eye, the ball sails off into the stand.
32 min: Kiko is upended by Maddison out on the right. That was wholly unnecessary, the Watford man was going nowhere. A free kick and a chance for Watford to sling something into the mixer.
31 min: It’s been bright enough, and far from dull, but neither keeper has had any serious work to do.
29 min: Maddison keeps the ball in play brilliantly out near the left-hand corner flag. Watford stop to a man, nearly fatally. The ball’s worked to Ndidi in space on the edge of the box, but his shot, which should really work the keeper at the very least, curls miles wide right.
27 min: Sarr zips down the right wing again. His low cross is rushed, and Deeney has no chance of reaching it. Evans intercepts easily. Sarr is causing problems, though. He’s the focus of most of Watford’s attacks.
26 min: The game restarts, everyone refreshed and rehydrated.
24 min: And that’s drinks. It’s margarita time!
22 min: Sarr tears past Soyuncu, sent racing down the right by Deeney. Soyuncu grazes Sarr’s shoulder with his arm; Sarr goes down just inside the box. He wants a penalty kick, but he’s not getting one. It would have been dreadfully soft ... but you’ve seen them given by generous referees. Sarr is livid; Soyuncu swans off whistling innocently, hands in metaphorical pockets.
21 min: Ndidi clips Hughes’ ankle as the Watford midfielder was looking to break upfield. Smart but cynical. Ndidi is fortunate not to go in the book. Hughes isn’t happy at all.
19 min: Leicester have enjoyed 61 percent of possession so far, according to the number crunchers at BT Sport. Pretty much how you’d have expected this game to pan out.
18 min: Justin whistles a first-time cross in from the right. The ball twangs off Masina and out for a corner. A quick VAR check to ensure it wasn’t a handball. Nope. As for the resulting corner: nope to that as well.
16 min: Kabasele is having a bit of a shocker so far. Now he miscontrols to allow Vardy to race off down the inside left. He’s fortunate Vardy takes a heavy touch out to the left. Vardy is forced to take an ambitious whack from long distance, and it sails miles wide.
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15 min: But now Vardy shows frustration with Albrighton. He wants a pass down the inside-right channel; he’d be free. But Albrighton hesitates and once the ball is played, the offside flag goes up.
14 min: Some space for Albrighton on the right. Albrighton sends a long one towards Vardy at the far post. It’s a little bit too deep, and Vardy can’t keep the ball in play, but he gives his team-mate the thumbs-up anyway.
12 min: Sarr is shaping up to be one of the most dangerous players in the Premier League. He tears down the right and whips a low cross along the corridor of uncertainty. Nobody in yellow has made a run, and it’s an easy gather for Schmeichel, but Leicester can’t afford to give the young Senegalese winger an inch. As Liverpool found out to their cost, he could make them pay.
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11 min: Doucoure whacks the corner clear, but Leicester are soon coming back at Watford. Vardy has a shot blocked, then Tielemans drags and effort wide left. Leicester look a little sharper here.
10 min: Leicester stroke it around the back for a bit, then suddenly spring forward through Chilwell on the left. Chilwell tries to find Vardy at the near post with a low cross, but just as the striker’s cocking his leg back to shoot, Dawson steps in to slam behind for a corner.
8 min: So having said that, Watford get out of their own half. Hughes chips daintily down the inside-right channel. Pereyra cushions a header but can’t find Doucoure, and Soyuncu heads clear. That was a nice little combination, and it nearly set Doucoure up for a whack on goal.
7 min: All a bit scrappy now, though Leicester will be slightly happier. They’re pressing hard, and Watford are struggling to get out of their own half.
5 min: A dismal Kabasele clank upfield is easily intercepted by Barnes, who tries to release Vardy into the box. Not quite, but the ball breaks to Maddison, who attempts a curler towards the top right. It’s blocked. On the Watford bench, Nigel Pearson fumes quietly, the most worrying kind of seethe. Kabasele will need to think on if he’s not to get the hairdryer treatment at half-time.
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4 min: Maddison’s delivery is woeful and easily cleared by Watford. Both teams appear to have attack very much in mind. Promising beginnings.
3 min: Kiko’s loose pass allows Leicester to throw a few people forward. Tielemans is hauled down by Capoue, and this is a free kick out on the right, a chance for Leicester to load the box.
2 min: Kabasele tries to win a header in the six-yard box, but Justin challenges him successfully. A lively start from the hosts, though.
The game begins. Leicester soon give up possession, and Pereyra has a wander down the Watford right. He wins a throw; Hughes then forces the first corner of the match.
Before we start, there’s a minute of solemn, silent reflection, remembering those who have lost their lives to Covid-19. And then Leicester get the ball rolling ... whereupon all 22 players take a knee. Black lives matter.
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The teams are out! Leicester arrive, the away team emerging from the tunnel first as per medical protocols, wearing their first-choice blue shirts and white shorts. Watford follow in their yellow and black halves. We’ll be off in a couple of minutes.
Brendan Rodgers - who contracted the virus during the enforced break - talks. “I think football has dealt with this so well, from the Premier League to the clubs. Having seen all the measures in place, the clubs and Premier League have been fantastic. I think it’s as safe as it possibly could be. The game has changed in the stand, but on the field the players will still be competitive, once the whistle starts they’ll focus and have that edge. My players have been outstanding in approach and attitude, and hopefully we can demonstrate that in the game.”
Nigel Pearson speaks. “Our stance as a club was always to give players the opportunity to make choices based on how they felt about restarting. It’s paid dividends because they’re all here, they’re all available, and I’ve been very pleased with how they’ve approached a very different set of circumstances. It’s going to be very different, but the players’ focus is on our own plight, and being in control of our own destiny.”
What would Graham do? Watford’s greatest manager, beloved and much missed, would know exactly what to do. Keep your distance and stay healthy, kids.
Watford captain Troy Deeney will lead his team out, his concerns about coronavirus having been assuaged. No Gerard Deulofeu, Daryl Janmaat or Isaac Success; we won’t see them again until next season. But there’s some good news with the return of Tom Cleverley, who has only played ten minutes’ worth of football since October. He’s on the bench again, alongside Danny Welbeck. It’s good to see both of them on the mend.
Leicester are pretty much at full strength, give or take Ricardo Pereira. The injured right-back is replaced by James Justin.
The teams
Watford: Foster, Femenia, Kabasele, Dawson, Masina, Capoue, Hughes, Sarr, Doucoure, Pereyra, Deeney.
Subs: Gomes, Mariappa, Cleverley, Welbeck, Chalobah, Cathcart, Gray, Holebas, Pussetto.
Leicester City: Schmeichel, Justin, Evans, Soyuncu, Chilwell, Ndidi, Albrighton, Tielemans, Maddison, Barnes, Vardy.
Subs: Morgan, Gray, Ward, Iheanacho, Perez, Choudhury, Mendy, Fuchs, Bennett.
Referee: Craig Pawson (South Yorkshire).
Preamble
Watford versus Leicester City. A fixture that is always going to bring back memories of this:
But Leicester haven’t done too badly for themselves since. One Premier League title later, they’re on track to book a second Champions League appearance in four years with a top-four finish, propelled by the goals of Premier League leading scorer Jamie Vardy, under the tutelage of Brendan Rodgers, formerly of Celtic, Liverpool, Swansea, Reading and ... Watford.
The Hornets meanwhile are battling relegation. They’re just above the drop zone, but they’re only one goal better off than Bournemouth, who host Crystal Palace later this evening. Three points this lunchtime aren’t a must, not yet, but they’d come in very handy. They’ve only won one of their last seven games before lockdown, but that was a 3-0 thumping of runaway leaders Liverpool, Troy Deeney and Ismaila Sarr too hot to handle. They’ve also won their last three home fixtures against Leicester, all by a 2-1 scoreline.
You can analyse Leicester from a few angles too. They’ve only won one of their last 13 league matches, haven’t won away in three, and have failed to trouble the scoreboard on their last two road trips. On the other hand, they’ve taken 36 points from 45 against teams in the bottom half, they beat Watford 2-0 in December, their away form can’t be that bad seeing they rattled in nine goals at Southampton, and they won their very last fixture 4-0, at home to Aston Villa before the lockdown. Oh, and Vardy will be desperate to find the net: his next goal brings up his Premier League century.
So good luck calling this one. It’s day three of the Premier League’s grand restart. It’s third versus 17th. It’s on!
Kick off: 12.30pm.
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