Leicester City’s Riyad Mahrez will have a blockbuster
Claudio Ranieri not dreaming about fairytale title for Leicester City
A brilliant goal from Riyad Mahrez after 56 minutes has put clear breathing space between Ranieri's side and second-placed Tottenham with only nine matches of this fascinating season remaining.
But Ranieri, whose side will host struggling Newcastle in their next league fixture, played down Leicester's chances of completing one of British sport's greatest fairytales.
"I don't dream, I continue to work hard," said Ranieri despite the visiting support at Vicarage Road singing "we're going to win the league" in the closing moments of Saturday's tea-time clash.
"The fans dream and we work which is a good combination. Did you see today? Every match in the Premier League is a battle, not [just] for us but everybody, and five points is nothing.
"We want to continue to fight match-after-match, step-by-step, and now our mind is on Newcastle which is another tough match at home."
Leicester headed into Saturday's game at Watford knowing that a win would move them five points clear of their nearest challengers after Tottenham and Arsenal played out a thrilling 2-2 draw at White Hart Lane.
Spurs looked set to move level on points with the Foxes before Alexis Sanchez scored an unlikely equaliser for Arsenal after they were reduced to 10 men.
"I didn't know," said Ranieri when asked for his reaction to the draw at White Hart Lane. "No. Believe me. I was focused on Watford and I did not know the result."
When the score was pointed out to the Italian during his postmatch news conference, he replied with a smile: "It was 2-2? Oh good. Thank you."
Mahrez, a £400,000 signing from French second division side Le Havre, scored his 15th league goal with a strike befitting of his incredible season.
"The goal was amazing," Ranieri, who substituted the Algerian with 10 minutes remaining, said. "The ball was there, the shot at goal was good quality, but we know very well about Mahrez.
"There was no injury, just a little cramp. He wanted to continue but his job was done and I preferred to change him."
For Watford, who remain 12th in the table, they have now failed to score in seven of their last nine matches.
"Leicester look like a very good team," said manager Quique Sanchez Flores. "It is no different to what we were expecting. They played really well, very intense in the middle, defending well and getting back all the time.
"We respected them before the match and we carry on respecting them now."
Leicester City’s Riyad Mahrez sinks Watford to boost title charge
Riyad
Mahrez will have a blockbuster of a highlights reel to show at the end
of this season and the goal that decided this gripping contest is sure
to feature. It will also deserve a prominent place in any film
commemorating Leicester City’s first top-flight title, a production that
moved closer to being commissioned thanks to a victory that sent
Claudio Ranieri’s team five points clear at the top of the table with
nine matches to go. For Leicester, sporting immortality is tantalisingly
close.
Or, as Ranieri prefers to put it, sporting immortality is still miles away. “Five points are nothing,” insisted the Italian. “We know there will be another nine battles – but not just for us, for everybody. Nobody can say who will win the title.” He repeated, however, that no one can say Leicester are obliged to win it. “We aren’t nervous, our job is done,” he said. “The others spent a lot of money to win the title, we just have to enjoy an amazing season.”
Ranieri knows that his attempts to play down title talk are becoming increasingly dubious – after claiming that he was not even aware of the result from the north London derby before kick-off at Watford he made a gesture to signify that his nose was lengthening – but what is palpably true is that his players betrayed no sign of jitters here. This difficult mission to Vicarage Road was accomplished with the tenacity, skill and nous of a side that senses it has the stuff of champions. This is a side emboldened by the opportunity before them.
Watford did not make it easy for them. The hosts zipped forward from the start, tricky interplay between Troy Deeney and José Holebas culminating in a stinging shot from the Greek defender. Wes Morgan made a determined block.
Within a minute Leicester demonstrated their own attacking credentials. In a move about which every defence has now been forewarned but against which few can forearm themselves, Jamie Vardy whizzed on to a long pass from Christian Fuchs, outstripping defenders and skipping past the advancing goalkeeper at the edge of the area. Heurelho Gomes did at least force the striker wide and that allowed Nathan Aké, who was playing at centre-back rather than left-back because of a hamstring injury to Miguel Britos, to turn away Vardy’s shot.
Two minutes later Aké again saved Watford, this time beating Shinji Okazaki to a rebound after Gomes palmed away a crisp, low 20-yard drive by Fuchs. Aké remained central to the goalmouth action. In the 10th minute he popped up in the visiting box, leaping high to meet a free-kick by Ben Watson. His looping header bounced out off the crossbar.
Watford were giving as good as they got in an engagingly open contest. But Vardy should have tilted it the way of the table-toppers midway through the first period. After outmuscling Sebastian Prödl in a fight for a breaking ball, the striker fed Mahrez and dashed goalward.
Mahrez unselfishly played the ball back to him as Gomes came out to narrow the angle but Vardy, under pressure from the retreating Prödl, poked wide of the near post from close range.
That miss prompted the home crowd to make unflattering comparisons between Vardy and Troy Deeney – presumably for the attention of the watching England manager, Roy Hodgson. Three minutes later Deeney had an opportunity to make the point in more elegant fashion, but his shot from 14 yards took a nick off Danny Simpson, presenting Kasper Schmeichel with a comfortable save.
Ranieri will never fail through inertia. He made two substitutions at half-time in an effort to give his team more control in midfield, introducing Jeff Schlupp and Andy King in place of Okazaki and Marc Albrighton.
The moves worked and N’Golo Kanté who, on his return from a hamstring injury, had been uncharacteristically bypassed in the first half, was much more influential in the second. But it still took a deadly flourish from Mahrez to make the breakthrough in the 56th minute.
Defensive tutors will point to a weak clearing header by Holebas from a cross from Fuchs but everyone else will just enjoy a delicious finish by the Algerian, who took one touch near the 18-yard line before curling a left-footed shot into the top corner. There was nothing for Gomes to do other than admire the sheer class of it. It was Mahrez’s 15th goal of the season.
Mahrez’s blast was like rocket fuel to Leicester. In the following minutes they threatened to soar way beyond Watford. Gomes saved well from a header by Robert Huth before Leicester sent a series of passes across the face of goal, each one fractionally beyond a visiting player. Mahrez nearly reprised his opening goal in the 68th minute, from the other side and slightly farther out this time. Gomes made a good stop.
Odion Ighalo could have strained Leicester’s nerves – assuming they have any – in the closing minutes but headed feebly at Schmeichel from six yards. Mahrez trudged off before the end, suffering from slight cramp. “He wanted to stay on but his work was done,” said Ranieri. The manager’s work also had to be admired.
Or, as Ranieri prefers to put it, sporting immortality is still miles away. “Five points are nothing,” insisted the Italian. “We know there will be another nine battles – but not just for us, for everybody. Nobody can say who will win the title.” He repeated, however, that no one can say Leicester are obliged to win it. “We aren’t nervous, our job is done,” he said. “The others spent a lot of money to win the title, we just have to enjoy an amazing season.”
Ranieri knows that his attempts to play down title talk are becoming increasingly dubious – after claiming that he was not even aware of the result from the north London derby before kick-off at Watford he made a gesture to signify that his nose was lengthening – but what is palpably true is that his players betrayed no sign of jitters here. This difficult mission to Vicarage Road was accomplished with the tenacity, skill and nous of a side that senses it has the stuff of champions. This is a side emboldened by the opportunity before them.
Watford did not make it easy for them. The hosts zipped forward from the start, tricky interplay between Troy Deeney and José Holebas culminating in a stinging shot from the Greek defender. Wes Morgan made a determined block.
Within a minute Leicester demonstrated their own attacking credentials. In a move about which every defence has now been forewarned but against which few can forearm themselves, Jamie Vardy whizzed on to a long pass from Christian Fuchs, outstripping defenders and skipping past the advancing goalkeeper at the edge of the area. Heurelho Gomes did at least force the striker wide and that allowed Nathan Aké, who was playing at centre-back rather than left-back because of a hamstring injury to Miguel Britos, to turn away Vardy’s shot.
Two minutes later Aké again saved Watford, this time beating Shinji Okazaki to a rebound after Gomes palmed away a crisp, low 20-yard drive by Fuchs. Aké remained central to the goalmouth action. In the 10th minute he popped up in the visiting box, leaping high to meet a free-kick by Ben Watson. His looping header bounced out off the crossbar.
Watford were giving as good as they got in an engagingly open contest. But Vardy should have tilted it the way of the table-toppers midway through the first period. After outmuscling Sebastian Prödl in a fight for a breaking ball, the striker fed Mahrez and dashed goalward.
Mahrez unselfishly played the ball back to him as Gomes came out to narrow the angle but Vardy, under pressure from the retreating Prödl, poked wide of the near post from close range.
That miss prompted the home crowd to make unflattering comparisons between Vardy and Troy Deeney – presumably for the attention of the watching England manager, Roy Hodgson. Three minutes later Deeney had an opportunity to make the point in more elegant fashion, but his shot from 14 yards took a nick off Danny Simpson, presenting Kasper Schmeichel with a comfortable save.
Ranieri will never fail through inertia. He made two substitutions at half-time in an effort to give his team more control in midfield, introducing Jeff Schlupp and Andy King in place of Okazaki and Marc Albrighton.
The moves worked and N’Golo Kanté who, on his return from a hamstring injury, had been uncharacteristically bypassed in the first half, was much more influential in the second. But it still took a deadly flourish from Mahrez to make the breakthrough in the 56th minute.
Defensive tutors will point to a weak clearing header by Holebas from a cross from Fuchs but everyone else will just enjoy a delicious finish by the Algerian, who took one touch near the 18-yard line before curling a left-footed shot into the top corner. There was nothing for Gomes to do other than admire the sheer class of it. It was Mahrez’s 15th goal of the season.
Mahrez’s blast was like rocket fuel to Leicester. In the following minutes they threatened to soar way beyond Watford. Gomes saved well from a header by Robert Huth before Leicester sent a series of passes across the face of goal, each one fractionally beyond a visiting player. Mahrez nearly reprised his opening goal in the 68th minute, from the other side and slightly farther out this time. Gomes made a good stop.
Odion Ighalo could have strained Leicester’s nerves – assuming they have any – in the closing minutes but headed feebly at Schmeichel from six yards. Mahrez trudged off before the end, suffering from slight cramp. “He wanted to stay on but his work was done,” said Ranieri. The manager’s work also had to be admired.
Leicester City’s Riyad Mahrez will have a blockbuster
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