Real Football Man All of the Football, All of the time
Leicester may have made history in midweek as they scored the first goal that came from an overturned VAR decision, it would have been even sweeter a moment had Jamie Vardy scored it but unfortunately for all keen punsters it was Kelechi Iheanacho who had that honour bestowed on him.
That victory over Fleetwood at the second time of asking means that they go on to face Peterborough in the Fourth Round of the F.A. Cup next weekend but this afternoon Claude Puel’s men play host to a Watford side who are struggling for form as of late.
Then again Leicester are not all that much better off if at all, although the Foxes are in eighth place compared to the Hornets who lie in tenth both sides have only won once in their last six Premier League meetings, which would suggest there is little difference between the two sides.
However for Watford their performances have really been on the slide as of late as all does not seem well in the Vicarage Road camp, Marco Silva flirted with Everton only to now be sulking at the prospect of not being able to move to Merseyside.
While Brazilian starlet Richarlison is reportedly angling for a move away in the Summer and is already attracting the interest of both Arsenal and Chelsea, at the same time if he is trying to put himself in the shop window then his performances are not really ones that would warrant a big money transfer.
Another player who is reportedly in the shop window is Riyad Mahrez and unlike Richarlison, the performances of the Algerian have been worthy of a big money move. The only obvious sticking point being that Claude Puel does not want to see him go.
You get the feeling that the former Monaco and Southampton boss will be happy when the transfer window closes, he’ll be even more happier should he still have the services of Riyad Mahrez to call upon for the final four months of the season.
Whether Mahrez moves on in the Summer is anyone’s guess, but if he continues this rich vein of form then obviously the list of suitors will continue in grow and with that in mind it then becomes harder for Leicester to convince their star player to stay.
Those ultimately are matters off the pitch, it is on pitch and the task of earning all three points which will be at the forefront of both Claude Puel and Marco Silva this afternoon. For Leicester it is the hope of moving into seventh and potentially a Europa League place.
While for Watford it is the aim to arrest the slide that they seem to be in, what is more alarming for them is the fact that they have failed to win against many of the lesser teams therefore they still have some tough fixtures on the horizon. Ones that could further worsen their plight.
Last weekend saw them come from two goals down to snatch a point against Southampton, almost literally as Abdoulaye Doucoure all but punched the ball over the line. If VAR was in place there then the goal certainly would not have stood.
Still for all the complaints that Mauricio Pellegrino would have had, the technology is not implemented in this competition and therefore Watford used their get out of jail free card to earn an unlikely and arguably undeserved point at Vicarage Road seven days ago.
Will they be in luck today though, that is the question. Their bright start to the campaign is all but a distant memory now and with Leicester playing the slightly better football as of late, I reckon it will be they who come out on top this afternoon.
