Leicester City remain winless on the road in the Premier League this season after falling to a 2-1 defeat to Watford at Vicarage Road.
The reigning champions, who were seeking three successive wins at this ground for the first time ever, came unstuck twice inside an explosive opening 15 minutes and failed to truly recover.
City find themselves in 14th place and more concerned about teams below them than above, with their hopes of retaining the title long but over, while Watford remain within touching distance of the top five.
It took just a minute for the home side to take the lead, with Etienne Capoue lashing home after skipper Troy Deeney nodded down a cross into the box.
Roberto Pereyra played a crucial role in the opener, and he was rewarded with a goal of his own just 11 minutes later when curling a shot into the top corner from a tight angle.
City desperately needed to find a route back into the game, with Miguel Britos's challenge on Jamie Vardy inside the box giving them the chance to do exactly that - Riyad Mahrez smashing home the penalty to drag his side back into the contest.
Younes Kaboul and Robert Huth headed over for their respective sides in quick succession in a lively first half, but Watford perhaps should have opened up their two-goal margin when Nordin Amrabat was picked out 12 yards from goal, only to miscue his attempt.
The second period proved to be one of fewer clear-cut openings at either end, the first of which arrived 65 minutes in when Pereyra saw his header tipped over the bar by stand-in keeper Ron-Robert Zieler.
A lively Amrabat was again wayward with his latest attempt as the Hornets, aiming to return to winning ways after their record Prem defeat to Liverpool last time out, closed in on a killer third.
City did up the ante slightly late on and had a succession of shots blocked on the edge of the box, but Vardy's strike over the bar signalled the end of the match and another domestic setback for Claudio Ranieri and his men.
Daniel Lewis
