Watford 1-1 Leicester, assessment: Could Papy Mendy play a pivotal role for Foxes?

Watford’s ground has a negative reputation among Leicester City fans because of the emotional turmoil that’s been witnessed there over the last few years.

So, is there any surprise that when Leicester City took the lead in the 90th minute they ended up conceding an overhead kick from centre-back Craig Dawson’s first goal for Watford in injury time? No, there’s absolutely no shock.

After the bizarre events unfolded, a 1-1 draw was probably the fairest result. The big chances in the game were evenly distributed, and neither team really controlled the game – even with Leicester having 68% possession.

With the fixture being both teams first game back from the coronavirus pandemic break, the intensity of a Premier League clash was lacking, it felt like a competitive friendly. This is no disrespect to either team, match sharpness is something that comes with competitive game time.

While Premier League fixtures continue to play in this manner, which I predict will last for another two-three weeks, I think the structure or personnel in the midfield should be altered.

I don’t believe Wilfred Ndidi is as effective when the game isn’t as box-to-box or hectic, his interceptions & turnover capabilities aren’t as required. Instead, in a fixture that places a lot of emphasis on fitness, keeping hold of possession is vital: this is where my theory comes in.