Watford vs Leicester preview: Brendan Rodgers takes charge of Foxes
Watch live on Sky Sports Premier League from 11.30am on Super Sunday, and watch in-game clips on the Sky Sports App
Sunday 3 March 2019 10:38, UK
Brendan Rodgers takes charge of Leicester for the first time when they travel to Watford on Sunday, live on Sky Sports Premier League from 11.30am.
Former Liverpool manager Rodgers was announced as the new Foxes boss on Tuesday, leaving Celtic to sign a three-and-a-half year deal with the club.
Rodgers was in attendance to see Leicester's 2-1 midweek victory over Brighton at the King Power Stadium and says he is excited by the "potential" in the squad.
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"It's such an exciting group of players that we can improve and develop, but also experience with the likes of Jonny Evans and Wes Morgan. The squad has a lot of potential.
"This opportunity was too good to turn down - to come to this club and work with a group of players that are young and hungry."
Leicester's victory over Brighton saw them move up to 11th in the Premier League, 10 points clear of the relegation zone.
Watford, where Rodgers started his managerial career in 2008, are eighth in the league and looking to secure their best-ever Premier League finish.
They were beaten 5-0 by Liverpool on Wednesday to end a four-match unbeaten run in all competitions.
Team news
Jose Holebas is available to return for Watford after suspension but Kiko Femenia is a doubt due to illness.
Daniel Amartey (ankle) and Marc Albrighton (hamstring) will be absent for Leicester.
Opta stats
- Watford have only won two of their nine Premier League meetings with Leicester (D1 L6), though both of those wins have come in their last two home games against them.
- Leicester have won their last two league games against Watford, last winning three in a row against the Hornets in August 1999.
- Since Watford's return to the Premier League in 2015-16, meetings between them and Leicester have seen more penalty goals than any other fixture in the competition (5).
- Watford are looking to keep three consecutive home clean sheets in the Premier League for the first time since April 2017.
- This will be Brendan Rodgers' first Premier League encounter with former club Watford - he has registered at least one win against 27 of the 29 clubs he's faced in the competition, failing only against Chelsea (eight games) and Wolves (2).
- Brendan Rodgers is taking charge of his first match as Leicester manager - he has failed to win his first league game in charge of the previous four teams he's managed in English football (W0 D2 L2).
- Including caretakers, Leicester's last five managers have won their first Premier League match in charge (Ranieri, Shakespeare, Appleton, Puel and Stowell). The last Foxes boss to lose his first game in charge was Dave Bassett in October 2001 against Chelsea.
Merson's prediction
Watford are a bag of revels. They go into the Liverpool game on a bit of a run, and get completely blown away.
I do fancy them in this game, but I really like the Brendan Rodgers appointment at Leicester. For Claude Puel, you can't be having those results and expect to keep your job.
Rodgers has played some counter-attacking football in his time, and I think it will suit Leicester at the moment. I think Leicester have had a result there.
PAUL PREDICTS: 2-1 (17/2 with Sky Bet)
