Watford 2 Leicester City 1: Capoue, Pereyra strike early to down Foxes

First-half goals from Etienne Capoue and Roberto Pereyra proved enough to secure a fifth Premier League win of the season for Watford as they downed struggling champions Leicester City 2-1 at Vicarage Road.

Capoue volleyed Walter Mazzarri’s men in front after just 33 seconds on Saturday before Pereyra’s curling effort made it 2-0 in the 12th minute.

And although Riyad Mahrez swiftly pulled one back for Leicester from the spot after Miguel Britos had brought down Jamie Vardy, the visitors were ultimately unable to add to their tally of just one league point on the road this term.

The win marked an impressive response from Watford, who were thumped 6-1 by Liverpool in their final game ahead of the international break and extended an unbeaten home run which stretches back to August.

And the margin of victory would have been greater had Nordin Amrabat and Pereyra not been guilty of wasting close-range opportunities.

Leicester, meanwhile, remain perilously close to the relegation zone, having now won just one of their last seven league outings.

Many fans were still settling into their seats when the home side hit the front, Pereyra’s cross from the left finding Troy Deeney, whose cushioned, downward header down was volleyed home by Capoue from just inside the box.

The rattled visitors were stunned again on 12 minutes, this time Pereyra cutting in from the left and curling a superb, right-foot shot past Ron-Robert Zieler into the far corner of the net.

Watford’s two-goal advantage was halved almost immediately, however, as they conceded a needless penalty to present Leicester with a foothold in the game.

Vardy looked to be heading away from goal when he was clumsily tripped by Britos and Mahrez slammed the resulting spot-kick straight down the middle.

Following that explosive start, the chances dried up during the rest of the half, although Nordin Amrabat did waste a great opportunity to make it 3-1, somehow failing to get a touch on a fine low cross from Deeney with the goal gaping.

The opening exchanges of the second period were decidedly scrappy and it was not until the 64th minute that another clear-cut chance was created, Zieler doing well to block a close-range header from Pereyra who had been picked out at the back post by Janmaat.

Wes Morgan and Robert Huth both had shots blocked as Claudio Ranieri’s men mounted some concerted late pressure, but the hosts ultimately dug deep to secure the points.