Leicester still cannot be trusted to defend set-pieces, so much so that their supporters sarcastically cheered when they managed to clear one.
Already-relegated Watford, meanwhile, have struggled to deal with all sorts of defensive situations all season.
They are good reasons why these sides met on the penultimate weekend of the season with little to play for.
Joao Pedro opened the scoring with a low strike from close-range after just six minutes
James Maddison guided the ball into an empty net from Youri Tieleman’s pull back
Leicester at least have their dangerous duo back in tandem to help mask their frailties.
After conceding from a corner once again, James Maddison and Jamie Vardy led the fightback, with some later help from Harvey Barnes, in what turned out to be a cruise for Leicester after an awkward start.
Maddison’s goal was his 16th of the season and the attacking midfielder set up Vardy’s 15th of the season, before he doubled his tally, and Barnes’s second of the game to take his assists tally to 11.
With Leicester capable of finishing no higher than eighth it is impossible not to wonder what might have been if talisman Vardy not been ruled out for two big chunks of Leicester’s season due to knee and hamstring injuries and unable to ease some of the burden on Maddison and Barnes.
This was just Vardy’s third league start of 2022 but he looked as sharp, full of running and mischief as ever as he spearheaded Leicester’s attack with typical menace and scored his second successive brace this week.
It was at the other end both teams had problems, primarily Watford.
Firstly, though, they benefitted from a familiar Leicester failing to take the lead after just six minutes.
Rather than clearing, Youri Tielemans headed a Watford corner back into danger and straight to Joao Pedro, whose volley was going in, with Thomas Castagne’s touch on the line making sure.
That was the 26th goal Leicester have conceded from a set-piece and 15th from a corner, both league highs this season.
No wonder the away fans later cheered when Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall got his head to a Watford delivery later in the half.
Jamie Vardy headed the ball into an empty net as Ben Foster came off his line 22 minutes in
The early lead was deserved reward for a purposeful and vibrant start from Watford in front of new manager Rob Edwards who was presented at Vicarage Road ahead of kick-off.
Adam Masina hit the bar and were also denied a second by a brilliant reaction save from Danny Ward – in for Kasper Schmeichel, ending his run of 149 successive league starts – to tip behind Pedro’s effort on the stretch.
The bad defending then became contagious.
Harvey Barnes then got on the scoresheet 22 seconds into the second half at Vicarage Road
From Jonny Evans’s long ball, Craig Cathcart and Adam Masina got in each-others’ way gifting the ball to Tielemans who squared for James Maddison to equalise.
Not finished with their self-destructing there, Watford’s Edo Kayembe then gave possession to Maddison who floated a ball over the back-tracking Watford defence which Jamie Vardy headed over Ben Foster, following his mistimed dash off his line, and into the net.
Cue trademark gleeful Vardy celebration in front of opposition fans.
Attack was most definitely Leicester’s best form of defence and they produced a flowing move that would have ended in a third goal for Castagne were it not for Foster’s save with his legs.
Vardy got his second of the day with a composed finish 20 minutes from time
Leicester were forced into a change at half-time and it was one that paid off straight away.
Marc Albrighton came on for Nampalys Mendy and, with his first meaningful involvement, delivered an inch-perfect cross for Harvey Barnes to volley in the Foxes third just 19 seconds into the second half. Dewsbury-Hall was inches away from curling in a fourth for Leicester.
Equally, they twice needed Ward to deny Pedro and prevent Watford reducing their two-goal advantage.
Barnes side-footed the ball past Foster for his second of the day after 86 minutes
But the two-goal gap eventually became three when Barnes picked out Vardy, Cathcart with some questionable defending once more, and Leicester’s No.9 poking in his second.
Just like Barnes then, Maddison was given the freedom of Vicarage Road to stroll forward unchallenged and set up Barnes to make it 5-1.
Cue the jeers and exodus from Watford, who have just one goal of this miserable season to endure.
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