Three points gift wrapped for Enzo
Dennis 63
TRAVELLING Foxes fans sang Happy Birthday to boss Enzo Maresca – and he said: “I got everything I wanted.”
The Italian, 44 yesterday, was celebrating after seeing his side prove they have the grit as well as the glitter to stay in top spot.
This was no repeat of the previous Saturday’s 5-0 win at Stoke. Patson Daka, from the spot in the eleventh minute, and man of the match Ricardo Pereira in the 55th minute, had put City in charge.
But Leicester midfielder Harry Winks made a horrific blunder to let in sub Emmanuel Dennis to make it 2-1.
Watford made it a nervous finish as Wesley Hoedt, Tom Ince and Yaser Asprilla all went close to an equaliser.
But the table-toppers held on to maintain their 11-point lead over secondplaced Southampton.
Maresca said: “This was a completely different game to Stoke. It has been a complete performance.
“When we have to play, we suffer together, after the goals we conceded we lost a bit of confidence but ................. 1 .............. 2 Daka (Pen) 11, Pereira 55 overall I’m happy. Watford took confidence from their goal and with the crowd backing them, we suffered.”
Fed-up Watford boss Valerien Ismael knew his luck was out when striker Vakoun Bayo went off with hamstring trouble within three minutes of the start.
Referee Oliver Langford pointed straight to the spot when Giorgi Chakvetadze appeared to trip Dennis Praet just inside the box.
Ismael said: “My first view was okay, he’s touched him. But on the video it looked really soft. Their player was already on the way down.”
WATFORD: Hamer 6, Dele-bashiru 6, Porteous 5, Hoedt 7, Lewis 5, Kone 6, Livermore 6, Chakvetadze 5 (Ince (72) 5), Martins 5 (Andrews (61) 5), Bayo 5 (Rajovic (3) 5 (Asprilla (60) 6), Sema 6 (Dennis (60) 6) LEICESTER: Hermansen 6, Pereira 8, Faes 5, Nelson 5 (Doyle (62) 5), Justin 6, Praet 6 (Choudhury (82) 5), Winks 5, Dewsbury-hall 6, Fatawu 7 (Mavdid (83) 5), Daka 7 (Vardy (72) 5), Mcateer 5 STAR MAN: Ricardo Pereira – Started and finished off move that led to vital goal.