2018-19 Premier League: Week 29 – Watford vs Leicester City

Brendan Rodgers makes his Premier League return as Leicester City visit Watford at Vicarage Road. 

The Hornets enter this match three points behind Wolverhampton Wanderers as they battle over seventh. Leicester meanwhile are five points further behind and know victory here will be crucial to their own top seven bid. 

Team news

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Watford have Jose Holebas available after the defender served a one match suspension in midweek at Liverpool. 

Miguel Britos is also in contention after recovering from illness but Kiko Femenia is a doubt after missing Friday training with illness, having looked set for a return from a thigh injury. 

Leicester have no fresh injury concerns with Daniel Amartey a week away from returning from an ankle injury suffered in October. 

Marc Albrighton is their only long-term absentee with a hamstring injury. 

 

Form

Watford enter this with just two defeats from their last 12 in all competitions, scoring in all bar two of those games. 

At home, the Hornets have avoided defeat in one of their last five with three of their five goals across those games coming in second half. 

Leicester ended a seven match winless run across all competitions in midweek with a 2-1 win over Brighton.

On their travels, the Foxes have taken seven points from last five away league matches, although have scored in all of those games. 

 

Stat Attack

• Watford have won just two of last five meetings but both victories came at home (W2, L3). 
• From four Premier League meetings at Vicarage Road, Watford have taken seven out of a possible 12 points. 
• Last three Leicester managers have won their opening league games in charge, with all three victories coming at home. 
• Leicester have produced the second highest number of crosses this season. Only Huddersfield have produced more with 601 crosses compared to the Foxes’ 600. 
• Jamie Vardy has missed 13 big chances for Leicester compared to just six last season. 

 

Prediction

Both sides need the win here and Sky’s midday games don’t tend to be classics so I am expecting a tight cagey game between two solid sides. 

Although my head says it’s a score draw, I can see Leicester getting a strong bounce from Rogers’ arrival to snatch the win. 

Prediction: Watford 1-2 Leicester City

Jake predicts: Watford 1-1 Leicester City

Result: Watford 2-1 Leicester City