Leicester City 1-2 Watford: Post-match review, Stats, Key moments

Dive into Ladbrokes’ post-match review of Leicester City 1-2 Watford in the Championship on Friday, 26 December 2025, with stats, key moments and our take on the match.

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URL: /post-match-review-leicester-city-watford-championship-gameweek-23
Title: Leicester City 1-2 Watford: Post-match review, Stats, Key moments
Intro: Dive into Ladbrokes’ post-match review of Leicester City 1-2 Watford in the Championship on Friday, 26 December 2025, with stats, key moments and our take on the match.
Meta Title: Leicester City 1-2 Watford: Post-match review, Stats, Key moments
Meta Description: Dive into
Tags: Championship, Leicester City, Watford, Match Review
Teams: Leicester City, Watford
Categories: Football, Match Review, Championship

Watford beat Leicester City 2-1 in a competitive Championship clash. Leicester took an early lead when Jordan James scored in the 7th minute, assisted by Jordan Ayew, putting them ahead after a bright start that built on their recent wins against Ipswich Town and Derby County. But Watford fought back just before half-time, with Othmane Maamma equalising in the 45th minute from an Imrân Louza assist, shifting momentum as Leicester’s form dipped following back-to-back losses.

In the second half, Watford took control, and Mattie Pollock headed them in front in the 65th minute, again assisted by Imrân Louza, capitalising on their recent unbeaten run including draws with Wrexham and Sheffield Wednesday. Leicester pushed for an equaliser but couldn’t break through, picking up yellow cards for Issahaku Fatawu, Oliver Skipp and Stephy Mavididi along the way. Late substitutions like Jeremy Monga for Stephy Mavididi and Aaron Ramsey for Bobby De Cordova-Reid failed to turn the tide, leaving Watford to claim the points.

The stats showed a closely fought game, with Leicester edging possession at 51% to Watford’s 49%, but Watford proved more effective in transition, racking up 43 successful dribbles compared to Leicester’s 21. Corners were tight at 5-6 in Watford’s favour, while assists underlined Watford’s sharper finishing with two to Leicester’s one, and discipline saw Leicester pick up three yellow cards against Watford’s two, with no reds on either side.

Substitutions were evenly used at four each, with Leicester bringing on Jeremy Monga for Stephy Mavididi at 69 minutes, Aaron Ramsey for Bobby De Cordova-Reid at 75, and both Silko Thomas for Ricardo Pereira and Hamza Choudhury for Oliver Skipp at 87. Watford’s changes included Nestory Irankunda for Tom Ince at 66, Moussa Sissoko for Othmane Maamma and Vivaldo Semedo for Luca Kjerrumgaard at 81, plus James Morris for Giorgi Chakvetadze in stoppage time, helping them manage the closing stages without any penalties or injury-time goals recorded.

The game turned on key goals, starting with Jordan James putting Leicester ahead in the 7th minute from a Jordan Ayew assist, but Watford levelled through Othmane Maamma in the 45th, set up by Imrân Louza. Discipline played a part as Issahaku Fatawu earned a yellow for Leicester in the 19th, followed by Oliver Skipp’s booking in the 42nd and Stephy Mavididi’s in the 63rd, while Watford’s Imrân Louza and Hector Kyprianou picked up yellows in the 48th and 61st respectively.

Watford’s decisive moment came in the 65th when Mattie Pollock scored from another Imrân Louza assist, shortly before their substitution of Nestory Irankunda for Tom Ince at 66 minutes helped maintain pressure. Leicester’s late double change at 87 minutes, with Silko Thomas replacing Ricardo Pereira and Hamza Choudhury coming on for Oliver Skipp, couldn’t spark a comeback.

Leicester City lined up in a 4-2-3-1 shape, with Jordan James anchoring midfield and linking well with Jordan Ayew in attack, while Ricardo Pereira provided width before his late substitution for Silko Thomas. Standout partnerships included Oliver Skipp in the double pivot until Hamza Choudhury replaced him, and Stephy Mavididi on the wing before Jeremy Monga took over, with Bobby De Cordova-Reid supporting until Aaron Ramsey came on.

Watford set up in a 4-4-2 formation, relying on Imrân Louza’s creativity in midfield to assist both Othmane Maamma and Mattie Pollock in their goals, while Giorgi Chakvetadze added flair before James Morris replaced him late on. Key roles saw Tom Ince on the flank until Nestory Irankunda came on, with Luca Kjerrumgaard up front making way for Vivaldo Semedo and Othmane Maamma for Moussa Sissoko to shore up the win.

Jordan James earned Ladbrokes’ Man of the Match award for his early goal in the 7th minute, which gave Leicester a platform despite the defeat. He contributed one goal, no assists, no big chances created and one key pass, standing out in midfield with his energy and decisive strike.

Recent Championship matches:

• Loss: 1-2 vs Watford (H)
• Loss: 1-4 vs Queens Park Rangers (A)
• Win: 3-1 vs Ipswich Town (H)
• Draw: 2-2 vs Bristol City (A)
• Win: 3-1 vs Derby County (A)

Recent Championship matches:

• Win: 2-1 vs Leicester City (A)
• Win: 1-0 vs Stoke City (H)
• Draw: 2-2 vs Wrexham (A)
• Draw: 1-1 vs Sheffield Wednesday (H)
• Win: 3-2 vs Norwich City (H)

Leicester City, currently 13th on 31 points, have just lost 1-2 at home to Watford, extending a poor run with defeats to Queens Park Rangers and now this, after a draw with Bristol City. They need to bounce back in their next match against Derby County on 2025-12-29 at 19:45, with the opponents sitting 11th on 32 points, offering a chance to close the gap and build on earlier wins like their 3-1 away at Derby.

Watford, now 8th on 35 points, have just won 2-1 away at Leicester City, building on a strong streak including victories over Stoke City and Norwich City plus draws with Wrexham and Sheffield Wednesday. They’ll look to keep the momentum in their next fixture against Norwich City on 2025-12-29 at 19:45, with the opponents in 23rd on 21 points, making it a good opportunity to push for playoff spots.

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Odds and market details are accurate as of the time of publication.