Match ends, Leicester City 2, Watford 2.
Leicester City 2-2 Watford
- From the section Football
Danny Drinkwater scored a spectacular injury-time equaliser as Championship leaders Leicester battled back from 2-0 down to draw with Watford.
Fernando Forestieri's header and Sean Murray's low shot secured the visitors a two-goal lead with 41 minutes gone.
And, despite Matty James's volley two minutes before half-time, it looked as though City were on their way to a first league defeat since 7 December.
But Drinkwater struck a 20-yard volley in the fourth minute of stoppage time.
With Burnley moving into second place, Nigel Pearson's side are still 11 points clear at the top, despite their run of nine successive league wins ending.
The Hornets, who are 14th, set up to nullify Leicester's attacking threat, using three centre-backs and packing the midfield with five players.
And, with the Foxes struggling to come to terms with the system, the visitors could have gone in front in the fourth minute as Murray swung over a free-kick and Marco Faraoni headed wide at the far post.
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But they took just five more minutes to break the deadlock as Forestieri dived forward to head home as striker Troy Deeney's shot looked to be heading wide.
Watford continued to look the better side in the tricky conditions and, although Manuel Almunia pulled off a great save to keep out James's wind-blown corner, the visitors went further ahead.
Kasper Schmeichel had saved a previous volley from Gabriele Angella, but he could do nothing about Murray's 25-yard strike.
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The hosts appeared stunned, but they showed their resilience to snatch a goal back as Ritchie De Laet broke down the right and James met his low cross on the volley for his first goal of the season.
Pearson's side went flat out for an equaliser in the second half, with David Nugent heading wide from Lloyd Dyer's cross.
But their efforts looked to be in vain as the game went into stoppage time, only for Drinkwater to net a dramatic late equaliser.
Leicester manager Nigel Pearson:
"We certainly deserved to get something out of the game. It is always difficult when you go two goals down and we were disappointed in the manner in which we conceded them.
"But you have got to give Watford credit. I thought their game plan was thorough and they didn't allow us too much space behind their defenders.
"All in all, I don't think anyone could argue that we didn't deserve to get something out of the game because we dominated the vast majority of it."
Watford coach Giuseppe Sannino:
"I think it was a very, very good performance against a team who have been on such a great run with nine wins.
"We created a lot of problems for them but we did not change our tactics for this match. We always play this system.
"It was a fair result and I think Leicester deserve to be top of the table because of their consistency this season."
Line-ups
Leicester
- 1Schmeichel
- 2de Laet
- 3KoncheskyBooked at 24mins
- 8James
- 27WasilewskiSubstituted forWoodat 84'minutes
- 5Morgan
- 24Knockaert
- 4Drinkwater
- 35Nugent
- 9VardySubstituted forPhillipsat 75'minutes
- 11DyerSubstituted forMahrezat 77'minutes
Substitutes
- 7Hammond
- 10King
- 15Schlupp
- 25Logan
- 26Mahrez
- 28Phillips
- 39Wood
Watford
- 1Almunia
- 19FaraoniSubstituted forPudilat 72'minutes
- 21Anya
- 6Ekstrand
- 27CassettiBooked at 74mins
- 4Angella
- 16Murray
- 7BattocchioSubstituted forMerkelat 90+5'minutes
- 11ForestieriBooked at 84minsSubstituted forHallat 85'minutes
- 9Deeney
- 28TözsérBooked at 22mins
Substitutes
- 3Bellerín
- 8Merkel
- 12Doyley
- 13Ranegie
- 17Hall
- 18Pudil
- 30Bond
- Referee:
- Martin Atkinson
- Attendance:
- 23,635
Match Stats
Home TeamLeicesterAway TeamWatford
- Possession
- Home68%
- Away32%
- Shots
- Home18
- Away9
- Shots on Target
- Home3
- Away3
- Corners
- Home10
- Away6
- Fouls
- Home9
- Away10
Live Text
Full Time
Second Half ends, Leicester City 2, Watford 2.
Attempt missed. David Nugent (Leicester City) right footed shot from the centre of the box is close, but misses to the right. Assisted by Chris Wood with a headed pass following a corner.
Corner, Leicester City. Conceded by Daniel Pudil.
Substitution
Substitution, Watford. Alexander Merkel replaces Cristian Battocchio.
Goal!
Goal! Leicester City 2, Watford 2. Daniel Drinkwater (Leicester City) right footed shot from outside the box to the top left corner. Assisted by Matthew James with a headed pass.
Attempt blocked. Matthew James (Leicester City) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked.
Attempt blocked. Kevin Phillips (Leicester City) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked. Assisted by Riyad Mahrez.
Kevin Phillips (Leicester City) wins a free kick on the left wing.
Foul by Gabriele Angella (Watford).
Offside, Watford. Daniel Tözsér tries a through ball, but Troy Deeney is caught offside.
Foul by Chris Wood (Leicester City).
Joel Ekstrand (Watford) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Offside, Leicester City. David Nugent tries a through ball, but Kevin Phillips is caught offside.
Attempt missed. David Nugent (Leicester City) right footed shot from the centre of the box misses to the left. Assisted by Riyad Mahrez with a cross following a set piece situation.
Substitution
Substitution, Watford. Fitz Hall replaces Fernando Forestieri.
Substitution
Substitution, Leicester City. Chris Wood replaces Marcin Wasilewski.
Booking
Fernando Forestieri (Watford) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
Wes Morgan (Leicester City) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Foul by Fernando Forestieri (Watford).
Marcin Wasilewski (Leicester City) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Foul by Troy Deeney (Watford).
Attempt missed. Daniel Drinkwater (Leicester City) right footed shot from outside the box misses to the right. Assisted by Riyad Mahrez.
Paul Konchesky (Leicester City) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Foul by Sean Murray (Watford).
Substitution
Substitution, Leicester City. Riyad Mahrez replaces Lloyd Dyer.
Offside, Leicester City. Paul Konchesky tries a through ball, but David Nugent is caught offside.
Substitution
Substitution, Leicester City. Kevin Phillips replaces Jamie Vardy.
Booking
Marco Cassetti (Watford) is shown the yellow card.
Jamie Vardy (Leicester City) wins a free kick on the left wing.
Foul by Marco Cassetti (Watford).
Attempt saved. David Nugent (Leicester City) header from the centre of the box is saved in the centre of the goal. Assisted by Lloyd Dyer with a cross.
Corner, Leicester City. Conceded by Gabriele Angella.
Substitution
Substitution, Watford. Daniel Pudil replaces Marco Davide Faraoni.
Attempt missed. David Nugent (Leicester City) header from very close range misses to the right. Assisted by Lloyd Dyer with a cross.
Attempt blocked. Matthew James (Leicester City) left footed shot from outside the box is blocked. Assisted by Anthony Knockaert.
Foul by David Nugent (Leicester City).
Manuel Almunia (Watford) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Offside, Watford. Daniel Tözsér tries a through ball, but Fernando Forestieri is caught offside.
Attempt missed. Paul Konchesky (Leicester City) left footed shot from outside the box is too high. Assisted by Daniel Drinkwater.