City sting Hornets as they hit back five times over after early shock
VARDY AND BARNES HIT BRACE EACH AS CITY AIM FOR TOP 10
LEICESTER City produced a rampant second-half performance at Watford to record their biggest away win of the season and keep up their push for a top-10 finish.
A Harvey Barnes brace and a second of the day for Jamie Vardy saw City score three unanswered goals in the second period at Vicarage Road to clinch back-to-back wins over already-relegated opponents, having already beaten Norwich 3-0 in midweek.
That followed a first half in which City had produced a fast turnaround from a woeful start.
Joao Pedro’s shot from an uncleared corner bundled its way into the net past Danny Ward, the Wales goalkeeper brought in for his first Premier League appearance in four years at the club.
But after City settled, James Maddison and Vardy capitalised on Watford errors at the back to grab the lead for Rodgers’ side, and from there they played some exciting, quick football going forward, if still looking open at the back, Ward required for a couple of second-half saves.
City moved up to ninth in the table with victory and eighth is still possible over the final week of the campaign.
One more win is very likely to ensure their end-of-season goal to finish in the top half is met.
After beating Norwich 3-0 on Wednesday, City were playing a side already condemned to the Championship for the second game running.
For Watford, eyes were very much on next season, with their new manager Rob Edwards presented to the crowd before kickoff.
That’s not to say they have given up the fight this term though, drawing with Everton in midweek even as the Toffees desperately battle for survival.
City’s record at Vicarage Road was not too impressive either, failing to win on their previous four visits there.
City went for a strong team, with Papy Mendy coming in at the base of midfield, as he did for the second half against the Canaries, while Wesley Fofana was fit to take his spot at centre-back alongside Jonny Evans.
There was a surprise in goal though. After nearly four full seasons and 149 straight Premier League games, Kasper Schmeichel was not between the sticks.
Instead, Ward, who had remained patient since his move from Liverpool in 2018, was given a chance.
It didn’t start well for the Welshman, who lost his clean sheet after just six minutes.
Again, set-piece defending cost City.
A corner was only half-cleared by Youri Tielemans and Pedro fired it back in from a tight angle. Castagne was in the right place to clear it off the line, but did not react quickly enough, only turning the ball into the net.
From the next corner, City nearly conceded again.
With City going zonal, Adam Masina was left free at the back post, and he was able to control a deep ball and then prod it goalwards, the ball bouncing back off the bar.
City were all over the place, and they then needed Ward to produce the save of the match to keep out Pedro, who had burst through the back-line to poke Jeremy Ngakia’s cross into the corner, with the City keeper getting down well to his left to turn it around the post. Thankfully for City, a route back into the game was handed to them, with Watford also having trouble at the back.
In the previous league meeting between the two, Maddison scored when a long ball was sent forward and the Watford defenders ignored it.
This time, two Hornets players went for it and got in each other’s way.
Masina and Craig Cathcart were the culprits, allowing Tielemans to get in behind.
Ben Foster closed him down, but the Belgian had the awareness to spot Vardy and Maddison to his right, laying the ball off, with Maddison accepting a finish into an empty net for his 16th of the season.
Moments later, City were ahead. Edo Kayembe gave the ball straight to Maddison, who delicately clipped a pinpoint ball over the top to Vardy.
Foster rushed out to make the punch, and Vardy knew he was coming, so leapt and went for the header rather than bringing it down, the ball bouncing into an empty net.
With the lead, City looked a lot more comfortable. They had a chance to extend it when Vardy played in Castagne, the full-back’s effort kept out by Foster’s legs.
At the end of the half, Ward nearly made the same mistake Foster had, but Samuel Kalu got his finish all wrong.
Mendy had been sick on the pitch in the first half and despite battling on, he was replaced at half-time.
It proved to be an inspired substitution, with Marc Albrighton coming on and setting up a goal 17 seconds after the restart. He carried the ball down the flank and crossed perfectly for Barnes running in at the far post, an excellently-executed first-time finish beating Foster.
It was not a goal that completely killed off the game, as Watford were still pushing. But they were attacking in such a way that City would always create more chances as a result.
It was end-to-end. Vardy hit the side-netting off a counter, Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall curled a shot just wide, and Barnes did not get the right contact on a diving header in a flurry of chances around two decent efforts by Pedro for Watford, the second requiring a strong block by Ward.
City got their fourth with 20 minutes to go, Vardy becoming the second-oldest Premier League player to score back-to-back braces, after Youri Djorkaeff, with his second of the game.
Barnes lofted a ball over the top, and while Vardy did not quite control it how he wanted to, he adjusted to poke it past an advancing Foster.
That’s now 16 goals for the 35-year-old too, and a real battle with Maddison to be the club’s top scorer.
Watford still pushed, and Ward had to bail out Tielemans when his misplaced pass led to another chance for Pedro, with Christian Kabasele then putting a header wide from a corner.
More Hornets attacking led to more City space, and the final goal was scored with five minutes to go, Maddison striding forward before setting up Barnes, who coolly found the bottom corner.
It was a second straight result that has relieved the malaise around the club following the European exit, with the strong away following thoroughly enjoying their day out. City will hope they can carry the past two games into their final pair of fixtures this week.