James Maddison inspired Leicester to a swashbuckling 4-2 win over Watford to ruin Claudio Ranieri’s return.
The England international grabbed a goal and two assists for Jamie Vardy as the Foxes closed the gap to the top six.
Maddison, fresh from starring in Thursday’s Europa League win over Legia Warsaw, shone again while Ademola Lookman’s strike also helped Leicester claim just a third win in 10 Premier League games in blizzard conditions.
Watford manager Claudio Ranieri, who won the league title with Leicester in 2016,was applauded by the Foxes fans (Tim Goode/PA)
Ranieri was axed by Leicester in 2017, nine months after winning the title in a season which is likely to never be repeated.
Then, the Foxes were a point above the relegation zone. Now Ranieri returned with his fifth club since leaving the King Power Stadium aiming to keep Watford up.
He received a standing ovation from the home fans and took the acclaim as they sung his name but, aside from Josh King and Emmanuel Dennis’ goals, that was as good as it got for the 70-year-old.
Jamie Vardy scored twice for Leicester (Tim GoodePA)
The Hornets, who remain 16th, were good value and showed promise only for defensive errors and Maddison to pick them apart.
Get FourFourTwo Newsletter
The best features, fun and footballing quizzes, straight to your inbox every week.
They started on the back foot and Daniel Bachmann turned Vardy’s near-post drive behind but Leicester, without a league clean sheet since the opening day, remained shaky at the back despite Jonny Evans shrugging off a thigh problem.
His miscommunication with Kasper Schmeichel nearly let King in while Caglar Soyuncu’s weak header allowed Moussa Sissoko to find Dennis and his effort deflected narrowly over.
The Hornets had shown enough to suggest they could worry Leicester only for Ranieri’s side – or more specifically William Ekong – to gift the hosts a 16th-minute lead.
Evans launched a harmless ball forward which should have been comfortable for Ekong but the defender ducked underneath expecting Bachmann to collect.
He had not seen Maddison stealing in behind him and the midfielder seized the chance by finding the corner of the net.
James Maddison put the Foxes ahead (Tim Goode/PA)
Watford were undeterred, though, and Schmeichel denied Dennis before Cucho Hernandez’s 20-yard strike hit Soyuncu and looped onto the inside of the post.
If Leicester thought they had escaped they were mistaken as Watford continued to press and got their reward from the spot after half an hour.
Wilfred Ndidi’s reckless trip on Dennis gave referee Andrew Madley little option and King beat Schmeichel for his fifth goal of the season.
The match was played in testing conditions (Tim Goode/PA)
Yet the Hornets were undone four minutes later by a piece of Maddison brilliance.
The 25-year-old clipped an exquisite pass over the top for Vardy and he lifted the ball over an advancing Bachmann from an angle, celebrating in front of his old boss.
Eight minutes later the former England striker made it 3-1 when he again combined with Maddison to glance in his corner.
