Leicester vs Watford: A slow-burning rivalry?

Some rivalries are bitter and destined. Others form because of a single game, or match incident. Sometimes a rivalry can be born simply because of how many times the teams face one another. You wouldn’t call Leicester vs Watford a traditional rivalry and it’s not down to geography, but in the past few seasons there’s certainly been some ill feeling and a sense of trying to get one up on each other. Perhaps the right phrase would be to call it somewhat of a grudge match.

Although Leicester have only faced the Hornets 59 times times, 17 of those encounters have been within the last ten years and having come to recent play-off semi-final blows, it’s ensured a certain level of tension when the two teams play one another. I suspect with a slight changing of guard in both Foxes management and players, their feelings towards the fixture have blown over slightly but I’m not sure it has for fans.

While I’m always a little wary of saying any game looks unlikely to finish 0-0, this one really does. Leicester have been a fairly safe bet for both teams to score so far this season and in the last 17 meetings with Watford, there’s been an average of almost 3.5 goals per game. It might finish a draw but there should be goals.

Watford are easily doing the best of the newly promoted sides so far and seem to have found their stride, and more importantly, their goalscoring capabilities again. Prior to the start of the season most Foxes would have seen this as a must win game, given Watford are expected to be in the relegation mix. The Hornets have their own in form striker with Ighalo and it should be an interesting game.

With this in mind and Watford visiting the King Power on Saturday, I’m looking back at some of the 5 most dramatic, important or best encounters between the two teams.

1) Watford 3-1 Leicester (2012/13 Championship semi-final, 2nd leg)

You might think that this is an odd choice to put first. It wasn’t easy. It meant that I revisited the highlights from this match for the first time since that day. Note to other Leicester fans: it still hurt like hell to watch.

It is certainly the most memorable meeting of the two sides though, even if it’s not the best memory for Leicester fans. We’d won the first leg of the play-off, at home with a late goal, to carry a 1-0 advantage into the second leg. The second leg was exciting and tense, even for neutral spectators. Watford fans held the home crowd advantage and spurred their team on to take an early lead through Matej Vydra that levelled the aggregate score at 1-1. Their excitement was short lived as David Nugent fired a reply within five minutes to restore the advantage in Leicester’s favour.

Midway through the half, Watford grabbed another, Vydra doubling his tally and making it 2-2 on aggregate again. It was end to end stuff and as the fourth official held up the board to signal four minutes of extra time, it was difficult to see if the deadlock could be broken before extra-time would kick in. Watford fans were angry, Leicester fans jubilant when the referee awarded a (arguably dubious) penalty in the Foxes favour, in the sixth minute of injury time. The decision in general angered the home crowd, especially given there were only meant to be four minutes. Strangely, usual penalty taker David Nugent didn’t contest the ball, and the player that had won the penalty, Anthony Knockaert, seized it. Ask any Leicester fan where they were at that moment and I guarantee they’ll remember because it felt like the longest wait in the world for Knockaert to take it. Many at the game would say they were hiding behind their hands and many at home, myself included, with a pillow instead.

Knockaert didn’t have the look of a man who was going to bury the ball in the back of the net and Leicester hearts, and faces alike, sank as he put the ball straight into the middle of the goal and into Almunia’s arms. That penalty miss knocked the confidence out of the players, stunned them. Essentially we choked, and Watford capitalised on that feeling. No sooner did Almunia punt the ball away from goal, Foxes fans watched in horror as Watford picked up the ball and went straight into our half. Our players were always playing catch-up and we could do nothing but watch when the ball rolled straight into the path of Troy Deeney. The striker made no mistake to smash it home and put Watford 3-2 up on aggregate. In the space of two minutes the play-off dream was extinguished and the full time whistle blown shortly afterwards.

It was a game and result that could have broken the team, but in some ways, it made us come back even better and even more determined.

2) Watford 0-3 Leicester (2013/14 Championship)

Many wondered whether Leicester could bounce back. The players looked so devastated at Watford that there was a question mark that was only ever going to be removed once the new season was under-way. The Foxes very quickly showed that they meant business with a storming start to the season, only losing two of the opening twelve matches.

By November when we travelled to Vicarage Road, we were sitting in second place in the league. This was one of the most satisfying wins of the Championship Title winning season. A win that truly killed any demons left from the play-off heartbreak just six months previous. It was the first time we faced Watford after that day and both the players and Nigel Pearson made it clear that we were out for revenge. The result was a very convincing win and it truly kick started the final push for promotion, though we did encounter a slight blip in the following month.

The comments before, and after, the game along with the performance showed that the fire in Leicester bellies to be promoted at the first time of asking and avoid the play-offs was truly lit. Though we were already feeling confident, being able to bury the tough memories of the last meeting made fans feel that this could be the year that we could end our 10 year Premier League exile. Leicester players were vindicated by the result and most importantly, Anthony Knockaert scored in the game too. A goal he celebrated emphatically, happy to be able to return and, in a way, make up for his part that day.

3) Watford 3-3 Leicester (2009/10 Championship)

Away games are special. There’s something about any away game and the atmosphere that even the best home game can’t quite replicate. I’ve been lucky to attend many away games, though it isn’t always fun. There is certainly nothing fun about standing in the rain for ninety minutes in an uncovered stand or spending five hours travelling to witness one of the worst performances ever and losing 6-1. However, trips to Vicarage Road to see Leicester play Watford have more good memories associated with them than bad.

It’s got a few factors that make it enjoyable. It’s easy to get to, not too much travelling and provides a great opportunity for service station sing-a-longs that I’ve described previously. There’s a superb locals cafe for some pre-match fuel, it’s especially good when they allow away fans in. Crucially, it’s the kind of stadium where you can take plenty of your fans and you’re quite compact, meaning it’s rarely quiet.

This was Leicester’s first season back in the Championship and under Nigel Pearson we were enjoying ourselves. It was a largely young, but exciting team and we were mid table by the time this game came around in the back end of September. We got off to a positive start, a Matty Fryatt double giving us a 2-0 lead at half-time. As was our issue frequently that season, particularly away from home, we conceded and lost some concentration in the second half, Watford pegging us back to 2-2 by the 60th minute. Foxes fans were frustrated and even more so when the home side took the lead through Heidar Helguson with just twenty minutes left.

Then came the 90th minute equaliser from Dany N'Guessan. Cue the slightly erratic celebrations. Maybe it looked excessive but considering we looked to have thrown away the three points entirely, we were happy to salvage one! It’s difficult to describe how a 90th minute equaliser or winner feels as part of an away crowd if you’ve not been part of one but it’s chaos. You’ve probably done it properly if you find yourself hugging and kissing complete strangers or in an entirely different part of the stand.

4) Leicester 4-1 Watford (2007/08 Championship)

The opening day and month of a season are exciting. You’ve been counting down the days until Saturdays can once again be built around attending or watching football and the potential is tantalising. Of course, an opening day win or loss does not define your season but the opening month can give you an idea of how you might fare.

Take the above game for example. Leicester fans enjoyed being back at the then Walkers Stadium for the first home game of the season. It was a good one too, an afternoon in the sun watching the team comfortably beat Watford, who were trying to bounce back from Premier League relegation. Goals from Iain Hume, DJ Campbell, Alan Sheehan and Mark de Vries sealed the deal and was only marred by the late penalty we handed to Marlon King, missing out on a clean sheet.

It had been a wobbly start, an opening day loss away at Blackpool followed by a draw away at Crystal Palace so we were happy to get a full three points. Martin Allen looked relieved to get his first league win too. Foxes fans were hoping the match could kick start the season and give the team some momentum. It didn’t really work out though.

As it turned out, this would be one of the best wins we’d witness all season. While Watford went on to finish 6th (beaten in the play-off semi-final by Hull) we went through three managers and found ourselves relegated to League One just eight months later. The lowest point in the club’s history, it was a season to forget for the Foxes and an up and down but mostly impressive season for the Hornets.

5) Leicester 2-2 Watford (2013/14 Championship)

We love a 90th minute equaliser, notching another one here to steal a point. The game had that feel of when you’re at the top and you seem to get the luck even when you don’t necessarily deserve it. We couldn’t quite complete the double in the title winning season but this felt like one step closer to promotion and the celebrations when Danny Drinkwater got the rather stunning equaliser were enjoyable.

We’d struggled in the match and Watford played a good game to largely nullify our attacking power. We perhaps didn’t deserve the point but having not lost since December, we had the kind of momentum where you can pull a point out of the bag.

While we eventually cruised to promotion and took the title, Watford finished 13th in the end. They didn’t seem to have got over the disappointment of losing the play-off final and had a flat season in comparison.

They will be hoping to come to the King Power on Saturday and spring a surprise on Leicester. Some Foxes fans may expect to win this comfortably, but I expect a tough test. Will the game provide another step in easing tensions between the fans? We’ll have to wait and see.