Leicester look like falling from the top to the drop
IT IS 78 years since Manchester City were the first and so far only club to be relegated the year after winning the title.
It is a statistic we might be revisiting soon unless Leicester rediscover the form that swept them to the title last season.
This was a damaging day for the champions and it must be a concern that this latest setback came against rather modest opposition.
Leicester have endured a difficult start to the season, facing Arsenal, Manchester United, Liverpool, Chelsea and Tottenham but this is the type of fixture they should be winning. But just as they should have been better against West Brom and Hull, Leicester flailed here and remain only two points clear of the drop zone.
Watford work relentlessly and adorn their displays with moments of individual quality but Walter Mazzarri’s side did not have to be fantastic.
He said: ‘The guys today were great and made the Liverpool defeat appear as though it was an error.’
By the end, Watford did need to soak up some pressure but at no point was the victory in peril. More telling about this Leicester side and the manner in which they have regressed is what happened in the opening 13 minutes, when the game was not so much lost as surrendered.
After only 33 seconds Danny Drinkwater conceded possession and a sea of yellow bore down on goal.
Roberto Pereyra curled a cross into the penalty area, Troy Deeney cushioned the ball into the path of Etienne Capoue, who struck the ball on the half-volley, sending the his shot into the corner of the goal.
In the 12th minute the second goal arrived and it was a marvellous individual effort. Pereyra dropped a shoulder on the left edge of the area, cut inside Drinkwater and unleashed a glorious strike that sailed over Ron-Robert Zieler into the top corner of the goal.
There was a response, although it required help from Watford’s defence. As Jamie Vardy turned with the ball in the penalty area, he was chopped down by Miguel Britos. Riyad Mahrez stepped up to score from the penalty spot, only his second league goal of the season. His first was also a penalty.
Yesterday he was an exasperating blend of quickheels, imprecision, theatricality and poor outcomes. Vardy has not scored in 13 games and he did not have a sniff here.
After a frenetic opening, the tempo eased, the game settling into a pattern of Leicester possession and Watford counter-attacks and the two sides continued to trade blows.
In the second half, Leicester continued to probe. For all their dominance, however, Claudio Ranieri conceded that Heurelho Gomes did not have a save of note to make and Leicester were left making dubious handball appeals in the Watford penalty area.
Watford had the clearest chance of the half, almost extending their advantage, as Pereyra’s header was brilliantly saved by Zieler.
Ranieri argued his side deserved a draw. ‘I think they scored fantastic goals,’ said the Leicester manager.
‘We then had a very fantastic reaction. There was a big defensive wall to stop our shots at goal. Spirit of a team was fantastic. The spirit is the same. We deserved to draw the match.’