Watford vs Leicester City
Date: 03/03/2019
K/O: 12.00
Venue: Vicarage Road
TV: Sky Sports Premier League
Referee: Jonathan Moss
Leicester City could be revitalized under new manager, Brendan Rodgers, with a return to the Premier League and a trip to a wounded Watford after losing 5-0 midweek.
The Foxes are coming off a three game losing streak, as caretaker manager, Michael Stowell guided the team to a 2-1 win over Brighton & Hove Albion, as Brendan Rodgers watched from the stands. Talking to LCFC.TV, he said, “When the opportunity came to talk to Leicester and I was able to analyse, it allowed me to probably think I’d maybe probably achieved and taken the club at Celtic maybe as far as I could at this moment.”
Rodgers back in the Premier League will shift expectations for the Foxes as fans will want immediate success. They are in a run of excellent fixtures, looking to climb the league table, currently in 11th on 35 points. Leicester have a good crop of young players; Demarai Gray, Harvey Barnes, James Maddison, are looking to make an impact with the attack minded Rodgers.
However, the Foxes defense has been suspect much of the season, anchored by Harry Maguire. While they’ve posted seven clean sheets, their last six games has shown their fragility, conceding 14 goals, the worst in the league. Rodgers propensity for attack could find his squad on their heels this weekend at Vicarage Road with the speed of Gerard Deulofeu in a tricky first game for the new boss.
Watford thrashed on Wednesday by Liverpool, 5-0 look to regroup and get back to their brand of football that has them on 40 points and 8th in the league table. Javi Gracia when asked about his team said,”About my players, the only thing I can say is I have a big confidence in them I know we are keeping a good level in all the performances. We knew today it would be especially tough but we are focused on the next game.” The Hornets were on the wrong end of a 2-0 loss at the King Power Stadium back in November but will be hoping that they can spoil Rodgers first game in charge and continue their hunt for a Europa League sport.
Watford
Coming off the 5-0 loss to Liverpool, Javi Gracia continues to show confidence in his starting XI and what they bring to the pitch. Sunday could see the return of Kiko Femenia, who’s regaining fitness after suffering a thigh injury. Miguel Britos, who played very well in the FA Cup has been ruled out due to illness.
It’s a big week to see how resilient the Hornets are and their willingness to bounce back, as they face a Leicester City team that could have a bit more hop under Rodgers. Look for Gracia to slot Jose Holebas back into the starting XI, after missing the last two games due to suspension. The defense was opened up repeatedly at Anfield, as it was shade of last season under Marco Silva, as defenders were left standing, as Ben Foster was continually picking the ball up, out of the net.
Watford put just two shots on target, falling back to their previous problems before posting a five goal game against Cardiff City. Gracia will be looking to Gerard Deulofeu to get in behind a lackluster Foxes defense that has conceded 14 goals over the last six games, worst in the Premier League aside Cardiff City and Fulham. While there were not many positives to take away from Anfield, Abdoulaye Doucoure and Will Hughes were bright spots and look to get the most out of them against the Foxes.
Leicester City
Rodgers inherits a healthy squad that has two long term injuries to Marc Albrighton and Daniel Amartey. Neither will be available for Watford and currently have no return date. The Foxes looked flat under Claude Puel, with just two wins in their last nine games. It’s been a very inconsistent season that hasn’t looked promising since the start of 2019. Rodgers should improve the squad, as he is attack-minded and gives younger players opportunities.
Jamie Vardy has failed to impress much of the season, not getting many chances on goal, but needing to convert to make the most of few opportunities he’s gotten. The reemergence of James Maddison, after some very inconsistent play looks to be turning the corner and could flourish under Rodgers. The same can be said for Harvey Barnes. The addition of Youri Tielemans during the January transfer window looks to be another positive move for Leicester. All could potentially provide service to a goal-starved Vardy.
Defensively, the Foxes haven’t been good, even though they are near the top of the league with seven clean sheets. The jury is out on how Rodgers approaches this problem. Ben Chilwell and Ricardo Pereira have been highly touted for their attacking runs and service into the box. Harry Maguire and Johnny Evans were exposed by Crystal Palace and Spurs for a combined seven goals. Speed kills and the defense will need to find a way to slow down Deulofeu and Roberto Pereyra.
Predicted Starting XI’s
Watford (4-2-2-2): Foster; Holebas, Cathcart, Mariappa, Janmaat; Capoue, Doucoure; Pereyra, Hughes; Deeney, Deulofeu
Leicester City (4-2-3-1): Schmeichel, Chilwell, Evans, Maguire, Pereira; Ndidi, Tielemans; Barnes, Maddison, Gray; Vardy
Prediction: Watford 2 Leicester 1
At Vicarage Road, look for the Hornets to control possession, in an attempt to break down a struggling defense. Watford will need to watch the Leicester City counter-attack that can be lethal with Vardy’s speed and accuracy.
