Watford 1-5 Leicester: Vardy, Barnes score doubles as the Foxes batter Hornets at Vicarage Road

Jamie Vardy and Harvey Barnes both grabbed a brace as Roy Hodgson’s final home match in charge of Watford ended with a 5-1 defeat to Leicester.

Joao Pedro’s deflected effort gave the Hornets an early lead in front of incoming head coach Rob Edwards.

But familiar defensive issues contributed to the hosts’ downfall as James Maddison’s leveller and doubles from Vardy and Barnes condemned them to a 26th Premier League loss of a miserable campaign.

The Foxes’ victory was relatively straightforward after their ongoing set-piece frailties were exposed early on and keeps them on course for a fifth-successive top-half finish.

Chelsea 0-0 Liverpool (5-6 pens): The Mailbox reacts to ‘another damp squib’ for the Reds

Meanwhile, Watford’s latest defeat equals the overall top-flight record of 15 home reverses in a season and leaves former Forest Rovers boss Edwards in little doubt about the major summer overhaul required.

Veteran former England manager Hodgson, who turns 75 in August, will depart Hertfordshire having failed to taste victory on home soil and with just next weekend’s trip to Chelsea to improve a paltry return of nine points from 51 available since his January appointment.

Successor Edwards, who led Forest Green to the League Two title this term, received a ripple of applause as he was unveiled to a sparsely-populated stadium ahead of kick-off.

How many of the current squad will be at his disposal in the Championship next season remains to be seen but he had reason for early encouragement as the injury-hit hosts raced ahead.

Leicester made a mess of repelling a corner from Ken Sema and, following a couple of ricochets, Pedro fired home via a substantial touch from Timothy Castagne.

Brendan Rodgers’ Foxes have now