Riyad Mahrez scores the only goal as Leicester City beat Watford

In what was generally a tight contest, the moment of difference was provided by the left boot of Riyad Mahrez when he beat Heurelho Gomes with a fine strike from the edge of the penalty area 11 minutes into the second half.

Both sides had a couple of promising openings in the opening period, but the better ones fell to the visitors as Nathan Ake denied Shinji Okazaki a straightforward finish and Jamie Vardy fired wide from close range after linking up with Mahrez.

But having lost Miguel Britos in the warm-up and been forced into a late defensive reshuffle, Watford had reason to feel pleased with much of their work at the break. Vardy and Mahrez had been kept relatively quiet, along with the returning N’Golo Kante.

But Leicester, who had come into the game certain of still being top after Tottenham Hotspur’s 2-2 draw with Arsenal earlier in the day, got the goal they craved in the 56th minute when Mahrez latched onto Jose Holebas’ misdirected clearing header on the edge of the 18-yard box and fired a fine left-footed shot high inside Gomes’ near post.

The hosts kept plugging away but there was never a strong sense they would be able to turn the game around as their poor recent top-flight scoring record extended to seven out of their last nine matches. Their best chance fell to Odion Ighalo, but he headed tamely at Kasper Schmeichel after being picked out by Troy Deeney.

Quique Sanchez Flores made three changes to the side he initially named that was unfortunate to lose at Manchester United in midweek.

Ake got the nod over Holebas at left-back, Mario Suarez was preferred to Valon Behrami in midfield and Nordin Amrabat came in for Almen Abdi.

However, there was some late unwanted disruption for the Hornets before kick-off as Britos was injured in the warm-up. His place in the starting XI was taken by Holebas, meaning Ake moved inside to centre-half, and Juan Carlos Paredes was drafted onto the bench.

The Leicester side very much picks itself if everyone is fit but Claudio Ranieri did make one change from the 2-2 draw with West Bromwich Albion on Tuesday night and it was a big one. Kante was not expected to be fit after missing the midweek draw but he recovered ahead of schedule and returned in place of the man who filled his boots against the Baggies, Andy King.

Watford were swiftly out of the blocks and had created their first chance inside 40 seconds as Holebas ventured forward and exchanged a give-and-go with Deeney before striking a left-footed shot from around 15 yards out which had the sting taken out of it by a deflection, sending it looping through to Schmeichel.

It didn’t take long for the visitors to get on the front foot though, as Vardy raced clear and Gomes had to pull out of an attempted challenge on the edge of the area, but the Premier League’s top scorer’s attempted cross from the left side of the 18-yard box was cut out by Ake.

The Chelsea loanee made an even more vital challenge moments later, nicking the ball away from Okazaki as he prepared to convert from close range after Gomes had made a fine one-handed stop to keep out a Christian Fuchs shot, but could only divert the ball back out into the 18-yard box.

The Hornets steadied themselves after that scare and weren’t far away from taking the lead after ten minutes when Ben Watson flighted a free-kick towards the back post and Ake got up well to send a looping header back across goal and over via the top of the crossbar.

Four minutes later it was Leicester’s turn again as Marc Albrighton hit a long pass forward down the inside left channel and Vardy got in behind to hit a left-footed half-volley across the face of goal and wide.

The game continued to simmer nicely, with the Hornets having the bulk of the possession but without being able to get into too many areas where they could potentially hurt the Foxes.

But it was the visitors who almost made the breakthrough in the 23rd minute when Holebas’ attempted cross-field clearance was blocked by Mahrez into the path of Vardy. Sebastian Prodl briefly lost his bearings, allowing the England international to get away from him and feed Mahrez on the right and when he squared it back to Vardy it looked odds-on he would score, but the striker stabbed wide of the near post as Prodl managed to get in a challenge.

Next it was Watford’s turn to almost go in front as Amrabat did well to ride a couple of tackles in midfield before bursting away and finding Ighalo, who had pulled out into space on the right. He played in a first-time cross, Amrabat missed his kick on the turn but the ball sat up for Deeney, but a deflection off Danny Simpson took the effort through to Schmeichel.

Amrabat then got himself in hot water for what referee Jon Moss deemed to be a dive and was booked. But the Hornets were having a reasonable spell, although they were unable to make the most of a couple of good set-piece opportunities around the opposition area.

Watford continued to shade the exchanges as the opening half drew to a close, but four minutes before the break Wes Morgan headed a Mahrez cross from the right straight at Gomes after the visitors had won a corner.

The home side almost had a chance just before the break when Morgan didn’t get enough distance on a header back to Schmeichel following as lofted ball keeper, but the Leicester keeper was already alert to the danger and headed clear just before Deeney could get in.

Ranieri made a change at the start of the second half, bringing on King for Okazaki, but it was the hosts who fashioned the first opportunity when Suarez accelerated past a couple of challenges and hit a right-footed shot which Schmeichel dived to his right to hold.

But the general tight theme of the contest continued after the restart, with neither side able to build up a sustained head of attacking steam. Then the complexion of the game changed in the 56th minute when one half of Leicester’s deadly duo again showed his class.

The problems started from a Fuchs cross from the left which Holebas was only able to head clear to the edge of the area where Mahrez took one touch to get the ball out of his feet before crashing a left-footed shot inside Gomes’ near post to make it 1-0 with his 15th top-flight goal of the season.

After Ake had been booked for a foul on Vardy, the Foxes almost doubled their lead when Kante dug out a cross from near the byline and Robert Huth’s downward header was clawed away by Gomes.

The visitors were now starting to purr and it took another timely interception from Ake to prevent King from having a tap-in from a Vardy centre after the striker had broken at pace on the counter.

Watford were very much still in the game though, and Amrabat hit an angled snap-shot on the turn at Schmeichel after slipping over in the area before Flores made his first change in the 64th minute when Abdi replaced Suarez.

Mahrez showcased more of his undoubted quality soon after, cutting infield on his fine left and fooling Watson before hitting a curling effort which Gomes plucked out of the air.

The visitors were creating the majority of the chances though, and another one arrived in the 72nd minute when Huth got first run on the defence to meet a Fuchs free-kick from the left, but he headed down and wide of the far post.

The Foxes left-back then saw yellow for a foul on Amrabat but not for the first time in the game, Watson’s set-piece delivery left a lot to be desired.

The Hornets kept plugging away and with ten minutes remaining came a great chance to equalise when Allan Nyom’s cross from the right was misjudged by Morgan and Huth, allowing Deeney to lob the ball back in the direction of Ighalo, but the striker could only head tamely at Schmeichel.

Ikechi Anya replaced Nyom with nine minutes remaining before Amrabat sent over a cross from the left which broke invitingly for Abdi, but he dragged a first-time effort wide.

Mahrez’s fruitful evening was then ended when he made way for Daniel Amartey and the substitute was soon involved, running at the Hornets’ defence before sliding the ball to his left for Kante to strike wide of the near post from 20 yards.

Obbi Oulare replaced Etienne Capoue for the closing stages but the visitors saw out the remaining minutes with relative comfort to move another step closer to a remarkable title triumph.

Watford: Gomes; Nyom (Anya 81), Prodl, Ake, Holebas; Capoue (Oulare 88), Watson, Suarez (Abdi 64); Amrabat, Deeney; Ighalo. Not used: Pantilimon, Behrami, Guedioura, Holebas.

Leicester City: Schmeichel; Simpson, Morgan, Huth, Fuchs; Mahrez (Amartey 85), Kante, Drinkwater, Albrighton; Okazaki (King 46); Vardy. Not used: Schwarzer, Schlupp, Gray, Ulloa, Wasilewski.

Bookings: Amrabat for simulation (29); Ake for a foul on Vardy (58); Fuchs for a foul on Amrabat (74).

Attendance: 20,884 (2.153 away fans).

Referee: Jon Moss.