Preview & Prediction: Leicester vs Watford

Premier League surprise-packages Leicester City are looking to cement their place in the top-four as they welcome Watford to the King Power Stadium.

Key to the Foxes’ success has been the outstanding goalscoring form of Jamie Vardy, who is hoping to score for the ninth consecutive game. Only Ruud van Nistelrooy – who once scored in 10 consecutive games for Manchester United in 2003 – stands between the former Fleetwood striker and Premier League history.

Leicester are gaining a reputation as comeback kings and have claimed a league-high 10 points from losing positions this season – a tally they improved last weekend as they came from 1-0 down to defeat West Brom 3-2.

Key to the victory at the Hawthorns was Riyadh Mahrez, who along with Vardy has taken the league by storm this season. The Algerian has seven goals and the England international has notched 11, meaning City have two of the top three scorers in the top flight.

The other will line up against them on Saturday, as Odion Ighalo seeks to carry on from where he left off last weekend – the Nigerian’s brace helped the Hornets to an impressive 2-0 win over West Ham.

Ighalo’s fine form has seen the striker involved in nine of Watford’s 10 goals so far this season – scoring seven and setting up two others. His partnership with Troy Deeney has been key to the Hertfordshire club’s solid start to the season which sees them nine points clear of the bottom three after two consecutive wins.

The most famous recent meeting between these two teams was in the Championship play-offs in 2013; Anthony Knockaert missed his last-minute penalty, Watford surged forward on the break and then won the tie with a famous Deeney goal which sparked jubilant scenes inside Vicarage Road.

Team News

Claudio Ranieri has no new injury concerns, with Vardy overcoming a slight Achilles knock to continue his quest for history.

Jose Manuel Jurado is Watford’s main loss as he sits out with a hamstring strain, but Ighalo has recovered from an injury which saw him substituted last weekend to take his place up front.

League Position: Leicester – 3rd (22 pts); Watford – 11th (16 pts)
Last Meeting: Leicester 2-2 Watford – February 8th, 2014
Key Men: Leicester – Jamie Vardy; Watford – Odion Ighalo
Form: Leicester – DLWDWW; Watford – WLDLWW
Shoot Says: Leicester 2-1 Watford