Eagles star missing, as in-form Leicester see off typically toothless Watford

Super Eagles hotshot, Kelechi Iheanacho, was unused as Leicester City got a deserving 2-0 win over Watford in the English Premier League duel on Wednesday.

Brendan Rodgers always signs off his programme notes with the slogan “Everything Is Possible”, and it would be foolish to dismiss Jamie Vardy’s hopes of breaking his own Premier League record.

Vardy has now scored for seven games in a row and that milestone from the historic 2015/16 season, when he scored in 11 consecutive matches, appears increasingly under threat.

His second-half penalty enabled Leicester to equal a 56-year old record of seven successive top-flight wins and it appears the success of both Vardy and his club this season will be intrinsically linked.

Since Rodgers’s appointment in February, Vardy has now scored 23 goals: more than any other player in the league by some distance.

James Maddison added the second goal in added time and Leicester stay in second place behind Liverpool, with that meeting between the two clubs on Boxing Day possibly even more significant, as it will be the 11th game for Vardy if he maintains his remarkable streak.

Before the visit of Jurgen Klopp’s leaders, Leicester face Aston Villa, Norwich and Manchester City in the league.

While Vardy remains in imperious form, the feel-good factor under Rodgers continues to generate optimism in what was a difficult night against a Watford team who remain bottom of the table.

After the dismissal of Quique Sanchez Flores last weekend, Watford defended resiliently and will have provided encouragement for interim head coach Hayden Mullins in his first game.

7 – Leicester City have now equalled their top-flight league record for consecutive wins (seven games), with the only previous occasion coming between December 1962 and March 1963. Heaven. pic.twitter.com/SRiYgFFbnt

Yet it was still a ninth defeat in 15 matches and these are worrying times for the Hertfordshire club, whose form since last season’s FA Cup Final has been appalling.

Watford were the victors in Rodgers’s first game in March, when hopes were infinitely higher under the management of Flores’s predecessor Javi Gracia, but the progress since then for Leicester has been remarkable.

Rodgers had pleaded with fans not to desert his team before the final whistle, after securing the winning goal in the fourth minute of added time against Everton on Sunday. but it was Leicester’s start here which was full of intent.

Vardy was given far too much room in the Watford area and he presented Ayoze Perez with a simple finish from eight yards, only for the £30 million attacker to fire the ball over the crossbar. It was a miss that set the tone for an often excruciating evening.

Watford’s game-plan was clear, to defend in numbers and break on the counter-attack, with winger Ismaila Sarr attempting to pressurise Leicester left-back Christian Fuchs, in for the injured Ben Chilwell.

It was frustrating Leicester, who were lacking their trademark intensity, and Harvey Barnes wasted another opportunity by tamely shooting into the side netting after a fine run from James Maddison.

Barnes was then denied by Watford goalkeeper Ben Foster in the 36th minute and the home team’s irritation only increased when Vardy collapsed under a challenge from Adrian Mariappa and was booked by referee Craig Pawson.

There appeared clear contact on the Leicester striker but even after a review by the Video Assistant Referee, the decision was upheld.

Rodgers badly needed a spark and introduced Dennis Praet, the Belgium international, for Perez at half-time.

Foster saved from Barnes again early in the half but Leicester’s pressure was finally rewarded when Adam Masina caught Jonny Evans in the face, attempting to clear Maddison’s cross.

This time Pawson did point to the spot, with VAR confirming the penalty. Vardy was never going to miss in his rich vein of form.

Mullins made an unpopular decision with the traveling support by taking off Gerard Deulofeu as time began to ebb away, and Watford could not find an opening to test Kasper Schmeichel.

And Maddison made the points safe by racing clear to slot the ball under Foster in the fifth minute of added time.

Watford have scored just nine goals in 15 league games this season – an average of 0.6 per game – and they were as toothless here as a plastic spatula.