Watford FC picked up what could be a crucial point in their fight for Premier League survival after Craig Dawson scored a fantastic bicycle kick in injury time, cancelling out Ben Chillwell’s equally stunning goal a few minutes earlier.
Nigel Pearson named a familiar looking eleven against his former club as his side returned to Vicarage Road for the first time since the end of February when they famously dispatched champions-elect Liverpool 3-0.
Leicester looked the brighter of the two sides in the early stages of the game with division’s top scorer Jamie Vardy searching for his 100th goal in the Premier League, but his first effort whizzed just wide of the post on the 15th minute.
The Hornets had a great chance to take the lead on the 35th minute when Abdoulaye Doucoure reacted the quickest to a Wilfred Ndidi mistake but his effort was stopped well by Kasper Schmeichel.
Watford almost went ahead on the stroke of half time when Etienne Capoue found Adam Masina with a terrific pass, and the latter’s cross was dangerous but was well defended by James Justin.
Captain Troy Deeney had the first chance of the second half after Kiko Femenia’s dinked cross allowed him to attack the ball with his head, but Schmeichel watched it go wide.
Leicester had their best chance up to that point on the 61st minute when James Maddison’s free kick found Cagylar Soyuncu unmarked in the box but luckily for the Hornets he got his header all wrong.
Former Watford manager Brendan Rodgers brought on Demarai Gray midway through the second half and he almost made an instant impact when he was allowed to cut in and curl a shot towards Ben Foster’s goal, but it went harmlessly over the crossbar.
The Foxes went inches from taking the lead on the 75th minute with two good chances, the first coming from Mark Albrighton’s shot which rattled against the post, and just moments later Ben Foster expertly tipped Maddison’s curling shot wide.
Clubs are allowed to make five substitutions throughout the game and Pearson took full advantage by bringing on Danny Welbeck, Tom Cleverley, Nathaniel Chalobah, Adrian Mariappa and Jose Holebas in the second half.
Leicester were piling on the pressure in the latter stages of the game and it finally told when left-back Ben Chilwell hit a ferocious strike which drilled beyond Foster and into the top right corner of the net.
The Foxes’ joy was short-lived as just moments later a cross which was floated in towards Christian Kabasele ended up in the path of Dawson, and the centre back made no mistake with his bicycle kick.
The fight for survival continues on Thursday evening as a trip to Turf Moor to face Burnley awaits Nigel Pearson’s men.
Picture courtesy of Watford FC
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