Leicester City 2-1 Watford

Jamie Vardy scored for a ninth successive Premier League game as Leicester beat Watford to go level on points with Manchester City and Arsenal at the top of the table.

Vardy got Leicester's second from the spot, converting after he was tripped by Watford goalkeeper Heurelho Gomes.

Gomes had already gifted Leicester the lead, somehow letting Ngolo Kante's tame shot slip through.

A Troy Deeney penalty gave Watford hope, but Leicester closed it out.

It was arguably harsh on the Hornets, who had the better of the first half.

Still, a seventh win of the season took Leicester behind the top two on goal difference alone. Needing a remarkable escape from relegation last season, their 25 points from 12 games is as many as they managed in their first 31 last term.

Fox in the box

Vardy had been kept quiet by an organised Watford defence in the first half and was even the subject of an injury scare after Leicester took the lead.

Media playback is not supported on this device

Ranieri hails 'fantastic' Vardy

Jumping to control the ball with no other player around him, Vardy landed awkwardly and was in discomfort as he lay on the ground, holding his groin.

However, after receiving treatment, he produced a moment typical of his stellar season.

Running clear of the Watford defence, he latched on to a through ball and was only stopped by a clumsy challenge from the onrushing Gomes. Vardy, handed the ball by regular penalty-taker Riyad Mahrez, smashed the resulting spot-kick high into the net.

Only Ruud van Nistelrooy, with 10, has scored in more successive Premier League games than Vardy, who is part of the England squad for the upcoming friendlies against Spain and France.

Most successive goals in Premier League games
Player	Final game in scoring run	Club	Number of games in scoring run
Ruud van Nistelrooy	23/08/03	Man Utd	10
Jamie Vardy	07/11/15	Leicester	9
Ruud van Nistelrooy	19/01/02	Man Utd	8
Daniel Sturridge	23/02/14	Liverpool	8
Mark Stein	05/02/94	Chelsea	7
Ian Wright	23/11/94	Arsenal	7
Alan Shearer	30/11/96	Newcastle	7
Thierry Henry	09/05/00	Arsenal	7
Emmanuel Adebayor	11/02/08	Arsenal	7

Heurelho's howlers

Though Watford were under pressure from an improved Leicester display at the beginning of the second half, they were ultimately only undone by the mistakes of their goalkeeper.

Gomes, so impressive so far this season, inexplicably gifted the hosts the lead with a comical error that gave Kante his first goal for Leicester.

The midfielder showed good skill inside the area, wriggling away from three defenders, but could only manage a tame shot. Still, Gomes allowed the ball through his hands, under his body and into the corner of the net.

Then, as Vardy ran through, Gomes was hasty in charging off his line. The Leicester striker was on the very edge of the 18-yard box when he was needlessly brought down.

Second-half City

Heatmap — The second-half heatmap shows how Vardy and Mahrez (left) had more influence higher up the field than Ighalo and Deeney (right)

Leicester, arriving on the back of a four-game unbeaten run, were stifled in the first half by Watford, themselves buoyed by wins against Stoke and West Ham.

Central defenders Miguel Britos and Craig Cathcart dealt with Vardy and Riyad Mahrez, while the visitors, who had the majority of possession, could have taken the lead, only for Odion Ighalo's shot to come back off the post.

But as Leicester once again improved after the break - 17 of their last 19 league goals have come in the second half - Ighalo and strike partner Deeney saw increasingly less of the ball.

And even though Deeney gave Watford an unexpected lifeline from the spot after Juan Carlos Paredes was tripped by Kante, the Hornets did not come close to an equaliser.

Key man of the match - Heurelho Gomes

What's next?

After the two-week international break, Leicester go to Newcastle on Saturday, 21 November, when Vardy will look to score for a record-equalling 10th successive game. Watford entertain Manchester United in that day's early kick-off.

The stats

Vardy is the only player to score in nine consecutive games in the same Premier League season, as Van Nistelrooy's goals came between March and August 2003.
11 of the 12 goals Watford have conceded in the Premier League this season have come in the second half.
The Foxes are the only team in the Premier League who have scored in every match this season.
Leicester have lost just two of their last 13 Premier League home matches and those defeats came against Chelsea and Arsenal.
Watford have won only one of their last nine away games at Leicester, including play-off games.

What they said

Leicester manager Claudio Ranieri: "We could not have imagined this, but it is only November. It's not May. We still have to achieve 40 points first.

"Jamie is fantastic. He'll be fit for England. After the goal he continued to run and fight - he's OK.

"It is important to continue the momentum. It's not easy for us, but we are very ambitious."

Watford manager Quique Sanchez Flores: "We have to accept that there are accidents in football sometimes.

Media playback is not supported on this device

Flores defends Watford keeper Gomes

"Huerelho knows he has out support, it is they style of this team. He feels he is guilty, but the rest of us don't feel that way. We are really happy with his performance in general.

"We had lots of possession of the ball. Leicester were playing for the counter-attack and we didn't always use the possession of the ball in the right way."

Line-ups
Match Stats
Live Text

Line-ups

Leicester

1Schmeichel
17Simpson
5Morgan
6Huth
28Fuchs
11Albrighton
14Kanté
4DrinkwaterSubstituted forKingat 90'minutes
15SchluppSubstituted forOkazakiat 45'minutes
26MahrezSubstituted forDyerat 84'minutes
9Vardy

Substitutes

10King
20Okazaki
23Ulloa
24Dyer
29Benalouane
32Schwarzer
33Inler

Watford

1GomesBooked at 65mins
2NyomSubstituted forDiamantiat 76'minutes
15Cathcart
3Britos
16Aké
21Anya
29CapoueSubstituted forParedesat 70'minutes
23Watson
22Abdi
9Deeney
24Ighalo

Substitutes

5Prödl
8Behrami
14Paredes
17Guédioura
25Holebas
32Diamanti
34Arlauskis

Referee:: Roger East
Attendance:: 32,029

Match Stats

Home TeamLeicesterAway TeamWatford

Possession: Home41%; Away59%

Shots: Home12; Away8

Shots on Target: Home6; Away4

Corners: Home4; Away2

Fouls: Home11; Away10

Live Text

Posted at

Match ends, Leicester City 2, Watford 1.

Full Time

Posted at 90'+5'

Second Half ends, Leicester City 2, Watford 1.

Posted at 90'+4'

Foul by Alessandro Diamanti (Watford).

Posted at 90'+4'

Shinji Okazaki (Leicester City) wins a free kick on the left wing.

Posted at 90'+3'

Foul by Juan Carlos Paredes (Watford).

Posted at 90'+3'

Andy King (Leicester City) wins a free kick on the left wing.

Substitution

Posted at 90'

Substitution, Leicester City. Andy King replaces Daniel Drinkwater.

Substitution

Posted at 84'

Substitution, Leicester City. Nathan Dyer replaces Riyad Mahrez.

Posted at 83'

Attempt blocked. Marc Albrighton (Leicester City) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked. Assisted by Shinji Okazaki.

Posted at 83'

Alessandro Diamanti (Watford) wins a free kick on the left wing.

Posted at 83'

Foul by Jamie Vardy (Leicester City).

Posted at 82'

Troy Deeney (Watford) wins a free kick in the defensive half.

Posted at 82'

Foul by Danny Simpson (Leicester City).

Posted at 81'

Attempt saved. Troy Deeney (Watford) right footed shot from outside the box is saved in the top right corner.

Posted at 78'

Attempt missed. Riyad Mahrez (Leicester City) left footed shot from the centre of the box is too high. Assisted by Marc Albrighton with a cross following a corner.

Posted at 77'

Corner, Leicester City. Conceded by Heurelho Gomes.

Posted at 77'

Attempt saved. Riyad Mahrez (Leicester City) left footed shot from the right side of the box is saved in the bottom left corner. Assisted by Jamie Vardy.

Substitution

Posted at 76'

Substitution, Watford. Alessandro Diamanti replaces Nyom.

Goal!

Posted at 75'

Goal! Leicester City 2, Watford 1. Troy Deeney (Watford) converts the penalty with a right footed shot to the bottom left corner.

Posted at 74'

Penalty Watford. Juan Carlos Paredes draws a foul in the penalty area.

Posted at 74'

Penalty conceded by N'Golo Kanté (Leicester City) after a foul in the penalty area.

Substitution

Posted at 70'

Substitution, Watford. Juan Carlos Paredes replaces Etienne Capoue.

Posted at 68'

Corner, Leicester City. Conceded by Nyom.

Goal!

Posted at 65'

Goal! Leicester City 2, Watford 0. Jamie Vardy (Leicester City) converts the penalty with a right footed shot to the high centre of the goal.

Booking

Posted at 65'

Heurelho Gomes (Watford) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.

Posted at 64'

Penalty conceded by Heurelho Gomes (Watford) after a foul in the penalty area.

Posted at 64'

Penalty Leicester City. Jamie Vardy draws a foul in the penalty area.

Posted at 63'

Ben Watson (Watford) wins a free kick in the attacking half.

Posted at 63'

Foul by Shinji Okazaki (Leicester City).

Posted at 62'

Attempt missed. Wes Morgan (Leicester City) header from very close range is too high. Assisted by Christian Fuchs with a cross following a corner.

Posted at 62'

Corner, Leicester City. Conceded by Almen Abdi.

Posted at 61'

Corner, Leicester City. Conceded by Miguel Britos.

Posted at 61'

Attempt blocked. Jamie Vardy (Leicester City) right footed shot from the centre of the box is blocked. Assisted by N'Golo Kanté.

Posted at 60'

Foul by Ben Watson (Watford).

Posted at 60'

Shinji Okazaki (Leicester City) wins a free kick on the right wing.

Posted at 59'

Attempt missed. Nyom (Watford) right footed shot from outside the box is close, but misses the top left corner. Assisted by Etienne Capoue.

Posted at 56'

Delay over. They are ready to continue.

Posted at 56'

Delay in match Jamie Vardy (Leicester City) because of an injury.

Goal!

Posted at 52'

Goal! Leicester City 1, Watford 0. N'Golo Kanté (Leicester City) right footed shot from the right side of the box to the bottom left corner.

Posted at 52'

Foul by Troy Deeney (Watford).