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Premier League | Gameweek 15
Dec 4, 2019 at 7.30pm UK
 
WL

2-0

Vardy (55' pen.), Maddison (95')
FT(HT: 0-0)

Preview: Leicester City vs. Watford - prediction, team news, lineups

:Headline: Preview: Leicester City vs. Watford - prediction, team news, lineups: ID:381427: from db_amp
Sports Mole previews Leicester City's meeting with Watford in the Premier League on Wednesday, including a prediction, team news and predicted lineups.

Leicester City will be expected to continue their excellent run of form against a managerless Watford side at the King Power Stadium on Wednesday night.

The Foxes find themselves as leading contenders to challenge Liverpool in the title face, while Watford are without doubt favourites for relegation after managing just one league win since August.


Match preview

It was thought - nay, assumed - that Leicester's title-winning 2015-16 campaign could never be replicated, but Brendan Rodgers's men are making it very difficult to avoid making comparisons with Claudio Ranieri's miracle workers.

The speed and organisation with which Leicester hit teams in the final third, spearheaded as ever by the superb Jamie Vardy, has been too much for opponents to handle this season.

N'Golo Kante and Riyad Mahrez have gone, but Leicester's hierarchy has expertly overseen the evolution of this team, with players like Ben Chilwell, James Maddison and Wilfred Ndidi playing with more consistency than their opposite numbers at clubs like Manchester United, Chelsea and Arsenal.

Indeed, it is no surprise that Rodgers, formerly of Liverpool, is now being touted as Arsenal's next manager having taken his team to second in the Premier League table, losing just twice - to United and Liverpool - all season.

As Leicester gear up to face Watford, non-Liverpool supporters will now view the Midlands side as the principal challengers to Jurgen Klopp's men in the title race - something that nobody would have predicted in August.

While Leicester are motoring forward under their new manager, Watford have once again decided to start afresh by sacking Quique Sanchez Flores following the club's 2-1 defeat to Southampton .

The Spaniard started his second spell as Watford boss in September, replacing Javi Gracia, who was the only manager since 2013 to manage the Hornets for more than a full season.

Having started well with a 2-2 draw at home to Arsenal, Flores only saw his team win one Premier League game in 10 outings, with Saturday's defeat leaving Watford languishing at the bottom of the table on eight points.

Indeed, it would not be adventurous to suggest that any team that sacks two managers and whose points total remains in single figures by December is almost doomed to be relegated.

Regardless, the Hertfordshire side will certainly hope that the departure of another manager ignites some sort of reaction when they travel to Leicester in desperate need of points on Wednesday.

Recent Leicester City form: WWWWWW
Recent Watford form: DLLWLL


Team News

Leicester only have one major injury concern in the form of Matthew James, who looks set to be out until 2020 with a calf problem.

Watford will hope that Tom Cleverley and Craig Dawson can recover from knocks in time for the game against Leicester.

However, Danny Welbeck and Christian Kabasele are both definitely out due to thigh issues, with no timescale as to when they could return.

It is a similar story with Sebastian Prodl and Daryl Janmaat, both of whom are out until the new year after picking up knee injuries.

Leicester City possible starting lineup:
Schmeichel; Pereira, Evans, Soyuncu, Chilwell; Ndidi; Maddison, Tielemans, Gray, Perez; Vardy

Watford possible starting lineup:
Foster; Femenia, Cathcart, Mariappa, Masina, Holebas; Capoue, Hughes, Doucoure; Gray, Deeney


We say: Leicester City 3-0 Watford

It may only be December, but the writing seems to be on the wall for Watford, while Leicester find themselves in a slipstream of dazzling momentum. A convincing victory for the Foxes in front of their own supporters feels somewhat inevitable.



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