Leicester City v Watford

1. Leicester XI: Schmeichel, Simpson, Huth, Morgan, Fuchs, Albrighton, Kanté, Drinkwater, Schlupp, Mahrez, Vardy.
2. Watford XI: Gomes, Nyom, Britos, Cathcart, Ake, Capoue, Watson, Abdi, Deeney, Anya; Ighalo.

That's all from this live text, I'm off to make sense of all that in a match report. Follow our main live page for all the reaction.

John Motson

BBC Match of the Day commentator

"Who would have thought that at the start of the season?"

FULL-TIME - Leicester 2-1 Watford

All over. Leicester City, yes Leicester City, are joint top of the Premier League at the start of November. 

The KP rocking, Leicester have the ball deep in the Watford half. This one must be done...

Four minutes added on, four minutes between Leicester and a place joint top of the table.

'Vardy should start for England'

John Hartson

Former Arsenal and West Ham striker on Final Score

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"Vardy's form is incredible. If he is fit and raring to go he should start for England, because how often will he be on a goalscoring run like this? At the moment, Leicester are on course to be joint top of the league."

Final five

Into the final five of normal time, the Leicester fans still clapping so hard that they will be going home with blisters. The Foxes are going top (sort of).

Here are the heatmaps of Leicester forward Jamie Vardy and Riyad Mahrez (left), compared to Watford strikeforce Troy Deeney and Odion Ighalo. You can clearly see that the Foxes pair have made more inroads in the Watford box, and for now it is telling. 

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Leicester are still having the better of this, keeping the ball in the Watford half. At the moment, it looks like the Foxes will hang on.

Get Involved

This really is good to watch. Leicester were pegged back, but they are straight up the other end, Mahrez drawing a save from Gomes.

'As cool a penalty as you'll see'

Jermaine Jenas

Former Tottenham and England midfielder on Final Score

"Watford now have the momentum. That was as cool a penalty as you'll see from Troy Deeney. 

"It was definitely a penalty, after some sloppy defending from Leicester. A clumsy challenge from Kante - if you're going to make a tackle like that you need to know who's around you and he just didn't."

GOAL - Leicester 2-1 Watford

Troy Deeney, cool as you like, sending Kasper Schmeichel the wrong way. Watford have hope.

Penalty to Watford

Where has this come from? Kante on Paredes, definite penalty. Watford have a way back into this game...

John Motson

BBC Match of the Day commentator

"You won't find many noisier grounds than Leicester at this stage of the season."

Still so, so rowdy at the King Power Stadium. Watford haven't shown much in the way of getting back into this game. Leicester are joining Manchester City and Arsenal at the top.

Get Involved

The King Power is rocking, singing the name of Jamie Vardy. The Foxes are going (joint) top of the Premier League.

'A great spot-kick'

John Hartson

Former Arsenal and West Ham striker on Final Score

"What a way to take a penalty! Nerves of steel, Vardy smashes it right down the middle and into the roof of the net. He created it all himself, busting through. 

"I understand why Gomes wasn't sent off, as Vardy was going wide of the goal when he was fouled. But a great spot-kick and now nine goals in a row."

John Motson

BBC Match of the Day commentator

"There was definite contact from Gomes. Wasn't it a typical Vardy run? It's not as if defenders don't know what he is going to do, but can they stop him?"

GOAL - Leicester 2-0 Watford

Was there ever any doubt? Jamie Vardy smashes high, straight down the the middle, nearly breaking the onion bag. That is goals in nine successive games for Vardy. Nine! Only Ruud van Nistelrooy has 10. 

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Penalty to Leicester

No doubt about this. Vardy through, Gomes brings him down. Stonewall penalty. Gomes gets booked, Vardy puts the ball on the spot...

Leicester, by the the way, are going level on points with Manchester City and Arsenal at the top of the Premier League.

Jamie Vardy seems to have recovered from that injury scare, running at the Watford defence and shooting low from outside the box. Miguel Britos throws himself to make a block. End to end.

Watford have bounced back well, knocking the ball around and creating an opportunity for Allan Nyom, who fires over from outside the 18-yard box. Still very noisy at the KP.

'That is an absolute howler'

Jermaine Jenas

Former Tottenham and England midfielder on Final Score

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"I played with Gomes at Spurs. He has been brilliant for Watford, but he will know that is an absolute howler. His team need to dig him out of a hole now..."

Now this is worrying for Leicester, England and fantasy football managers everywhere. Jamie Vardy is down, hurting himself when no one else is around. A jump for the ball, an awkward landing, Vardy in obvious discomfort. He goes off the field, then is back on after treatment. Perhaps a story developing.

John Motson

BBC Match of the Day commentator

"It was good skill from Kante, but the ball slid under Gomes. It stops Watford in their tracks."

It was good skill from Kante to get the shot away, but Gomes is the real reason for the goal. Comically bad. Make sure you watch it on Match of the Day.

GOAL - Leicester 1-0 Watford

Oh no! Heurelho Gomes, what have you done? It's a howler from the Watford keeper, gifting Ngolo Kante the goal that gives Leicester the lead. It's the tamest one shots, one your grandma could stop. Somehow, Gomes lets it dribble through. Horrible.

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Early chance for Leicester, with Marc Albrighton shooting straight at Gomes. He could have played in Jamie Vardy, with the England man looking a touch frustrated. Bright from Leicester.

SUBSTITUTION

There's been a sneaky substitution during the break that I didn't spot. Leicester have introduced Shinji Okazaki to play up top with Jamie Vardy. Jeff Schlupp has made way.

KICK-OFF

Back under way in the second half. Goals, please.

It's reasonably even in terms of the action areas, but Watford have had plenty more of the possession.

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Latest scores

Nothing here and goals also rare in the rest of the Premier League. Only two in the 15:00 GMT games, both at Upton Park.

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John Motson

BBC Match of the Day commentator

"I think Watford have had it over Leicester so far. Vardy hasn't really had a look-in so far."

HALF-TIME

That's yer lot for now. It promised much, but hasn't delivered yet.

Ranieri is having a little cuddle with the fourth official, while Quique Sanchez Flores is looking like the smartest man in the Premier League. One minute added on.

Brilliant from Wes Morgan, leaping to just head the ball out of the path of Troy Deeney. Deeney would have had a clear header at goal, but instead Watford have a corner.

John Motson

BBC Match of the Day commentator

"A blank scoreline wasn't really what was expected here. Watford have been durable and, at times, creative."

Leicester are getting frustrated, not least when Christian Fuchs gives away a free-kick on the halfway line. Still the clapping, and what sounds like the whirring of rattles, but this game has definitely dropped off. Leicester, though, have scored 15 of their 17 goals this season in the second half.

Jamie Vardy's first proper sight of goal sees him get a shot away from edge of the 18-yard box. After turning two defenders, his effort is a little tame. Gomes gets down to save in comfort.

Claudio Ranieri is on the touchline, sporting those round-rimmed spectacles that make him look like an ageing Harry Potter. He directs traffic and sees his team try to get down the right. Nothing doing.

Even as the home team, Leicester look to be more comfortable on the counter-attack than when faced with making the play.There's still lots of noise in the King Power, but not much happening at the moment.

John Motson

BBC Match of the Day commentator

"I would say the more controlled football in this first-half has come from Watford."

I didn't see that Alastair. If I get a replay at half-time, I'll let you know. Lots of possession for Watford, but comes to nothing. The thrust has temporarily gone from this match. 

Just a little scrappier, the ball bouncing around midfield, not spending too much time on the turf. Lots of commitment, but no quality.

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Riyad Mahrez has been quiet so far, though he usually does most of his good work in the second half. He tangles with Odion Ighalo, who limps away. 

More Leicester chances, Vardy sniffing around the six-yard box, then Albrighton dancing to shoot from outside the box. There's goals in this game, trust me.

John Motson

BBC Match of the Day commentator

"This is a comparison between the Leicester front two of Vardy and Mahrez, and Watford's Deeney and Ighalo. Between them might be the outcome of the game."

No goals anywhere in the 15:00 GMT Premier League games. Capoue tries to end the drought, but his effort is from miles out and ends not even in the same post code as Schmeichel's goal.

Check out this touchmap, which shows where both teams have had the ball. Watford, on the right, have had more of the ball in attacking positions than Leicester.

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HITS THE WOODWORK

Watford hit the post! It's that man Odion Ighalo, firing on an angle from inside the 18-yard box, seeing the ball come off the woodwork with Schmeichel beaten. The keeper does well to get up and beat away the follow-up from Almen Abdi. Really good from Watford.

Ooofff, that's close. Both Robert Huth and Wes Morgan go in, one of them getting a touch. Gomes dives to make a good save. Off side, but he didn't know...

A Leicester break from an interception in their own half. Vardy involved again, as is Schlupp. A foul on Kante draws a free-kick about 10 yards outside the D. Expect a cross, not a shot...

John Motson

BBC Match of the Day commentator

"Both teams are playing with two men up. What a refreshing change from the 4-2-3-1 that seems to dominate the Premier League these days."

Chance at the other end now, started by the running of Jamie Vardy. Run behind, cross, not dealt with. Marc Albrighton arrives to shoot at Gomes, who has to get down low. Good stuff on the pitch, energy matched by the noise from the crowd.

Lots of noise from the home fans as Leicester can't get in behind, the ball skipping out. My eye is caught by the size of Leicester skipper Wes Morgan. He's a mountain of a man, chest the size of a mattress. When he tells you it's Christmas. start singing carols.

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First effort of note from Watford, Etienne Capoue latching on to a cut-back to fire a daisy-cutter at Kasper Schmeichel. It's good, this. End to end.

Leicester are getting into the groove now, stroking the ball round on a sun-kissed day in the East Midlands. Watford, though, have the best defence outside the top five, and are holding the line. 

Another Leicester free-kick, this time pumped from the halfway line. They try to work something down the left, but the cross is straight at Watford keeper Gomes.

The balls hits the hand of Ben Watson, Leicester free-kick halfway into the Watford half. Lofted in, ball falls to Jeff Schlupp, who blasts it miles over. That's on the way to Derby.

Early throw to Watford, who are playing right to left as I look on. Both teams in their traditional blue and gold respectively. Watford have made the better start...

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John Motson

BBC Match of the Day commentator

"You could argue that both teams have lined up with a version of 4-4-2."

KICK-OFF

We're under way...

The silence inside the King Power was accompanied by fans holding red, white and black pieces of paper that formed a giant poppy. The Last Post was played by a lone musician. 

Ranieri and Flores also wait with wreaths as the Leicester fans fill the stadium with noise. The players line the centre circle and the ground is about to fall silent.

Big hug between Flores and Ranieri. There's no battle on the touchline. Yet.

"Jamie Vardy's Barmy Army" is the song (I think) of the Leicester fans as the players come on to the field. Both captains are clutching wreaths, while the young Leicester mascots hang on to poppies that as big as them.

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As there is at many grounds around the country this weekend, there is a large military feel at the King Power this afternoon. There is applause as two wreaths are laid in the centre circle. We'll observe a minute's silence when the players emerge from the tunnel.

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'Leicester are having a great time of it under Ranieri'

John Hartson

Former Arsenal and West Ham striker on Final Score

"Jamie Vardy has eight out of eight, and Leicester are having a great time of it under Claudio Ranieri. But bear in mind what a good start to the campaign Watford have had."

You know all about Jamie Vardy's goalscoring, right? Look out for his chance to make history today. If he finds the net, it will be his ninth goal in as many games. Only Ruud van Nistelrooy has managed that in the Premier League era. 

Predict today's results

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Think you know your football? Have a go at predicting the outcome of this match and the rest of the weekend's fixtures by playing the BBC Sport Predictor game.

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There's a helicopter just landing in the centre circle of a sunny King Power Stadium. There's often a helicopter collecting the Leicester owners at the end of home games, but this time it's here to deliver the match ball to referee Roger East.

'The Foxes are playing outstanding football'

Dion Dublin

Former Leicester striker on Football Focus

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"Ranieri has been amazing. Nobody was saying his was a great appointment for Leicester. But he is a great character, he is speaking sense and the way the Foxes are playing football now is outstanding. And some of their players have been fantastic. 

"Their run will come to an end at some stage, but how long can they keep this going for?"

'I want to kill him!'

There's been some high-jinks from Leicester boss Claudio Ranieri this week. When asked if he had any ill feeling towards Watford's Quique Sanchez Flores, the man who replaced him at Valencia, the Italian growled: "Revenge, I want to kill him!" Blood on the touchline? Ranieri then conceded that Flores is " a nice man", so probably not. 

John Motson

BBC Match of the Day commentator

"This is a meeting of two clubs that have exceeded expectations in the first half of the season.

"Who would have thought Leicester City, who needed to win seven of their last nine games to stay in the league last season, would be third after 11 games of this campaign?

"Watford are the new kids on the block and have also impressed with four wins in their last seven matches.

"Last time they met, Leicester came from two goals down to draw 2-2. You wouldn't bet against them doing something similar on Saturday the way they, and Jamie Vardy, have been playing lately."

The teams

There's almost no news from these two line-ups. Leicester make one change - and a slight shuffle - from the win at West Brom last week. Defender Christian Fuchs comes in for striker Leonardo Ulloa, meaning Jeff Schlupp goes higher up the field.

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Nothing to see for Watford, they name the same starting XI that has defeated both Stoke and West Ham. Consistent.

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All that points to something of a cracker at the King Power today. Throw in the fact that we have the Premier League's top three scorers - Vardy, Odion Ighalo and Riyad Mahrez - then it gets even tastier. The eyes of many a fantasy football manager will be on this one.

Watford too were on far from certain ground. Promotion was followed by the installation of a fifth manager in a year. However, a solid start sees them sit 11th in the table, on the back of two good wins against Stoke and West Ham. 

Leicester fans could have been forgiven for entering this season with a sense of trepidation - the arrival of Claudio Ranieri to replace Nigel Pearson wasn't exactly greeted with widespread jubilation. Six wins from 11 games later, the Foxes find themselves third in the Premier League, riding the crest of a Jamie Vardy wave.

It was the much missed Cilla Black who told us that a surprise is the greatest feeling in the world. Fans of Leicester and Watford might well agree with her...

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