Brighton 1-2 Leicester: Premier League – as it happened
06-Mar-2021 22:08:17 | The Guardian
Daniel Amartey’s winner after an error by Brighton goalkeeper Robert Sánchez took Leicester into second and plunged the Seagulls into trouble
Here’s Ed Aarons’ report from the Amex.
Related: Daniel Amartey's late header seals comeback win for Leicester at Brighton
Youri Tielemans speaks to Sky Sports.
Much better, but the first half was not good enough at all. We were a bit loose and they got into us. It was a good ball from me but really good from him for the finish. We are very happy with this win, we need two try and make up for the guys who aren’t there. Very big result, they play well, and play good football. It was up to you to react, and we did well in the second with a good mentality.
Leicester in second ahead of the Manchester derby tomorrow; there’s a decent chance they finish the weekend in that position.
Leicester go up to second, and that’s down to Brendan Rodgers’ squad digging out the win. That error by Robert Sanchez and the alertness of Daniel Amartey win the day. Brighton are now looking over their shoulders, and if they continue to make mistakes like that then they are in big trouble.
90+3 min: Brighton’s Dan Burn has a late chance but even someone of his size cannot reach all the way across to direct the ball in.
90+2 min: Brighton really can only blame themselves if they go down. Playing well and still making a mess of things has been the trait that has dragged them down.
90 min: Last-minute changes for Leicester and Brighton - off come Tielemans and Bissouma and on come Choudhury and Jahanbakhsh. Four minutes are added on.
89 min: Oh Brighton, oh dear. But that was a great, alert finish from Amartey. Sanchez was aghast. He flapped at the ball where previously he had been so decisive.
Oh no, Sanchez goes up for a corner, fluffs it and then Amartey slots in from close range. That was a true howler from the keeper.
87 min: Why was that not awarded? The idea of clear and obvious. That would seem to be the concept of seen them given...
86 min: Penalty claim! Vardy brought down by Dunk! Does he get the ball? Who touched it first? No penalty given by referee or VAR. No penalty. Well.
84 min: Something of a detente now. Is a point that bad for either team?
82 min: Leicester’s turn to go under the cosh. Brighton pressing high. “Don’t foul him,” says Potter as Trossard chases the ball down in the corner.
80 min: Lallana goes close after a nice move from Brighton. Laid up by Trossard and he smashes the ball, before Schmeichel makes the save.
79 min: Brighton sub: Maupay departs, on comes Danny Welbeck.
78 min: Leicester look more likely here. Brighton struggling to make much of note with Lallana and Maupay both quiet.
76 min: Leicester have a corner, but Sanchez claims and rolls the ball out to Lallana. Tielemans is booked for sliding right through the back of Trossard.
75 min: This is edgy stuff, both teams on the edge. And as there is plenty to play for that’s wholly understandable.
73 min: Off goes Tavares. It only took 73 minutes to work out that he is some prospect. On comes Dennis Norden’s Marc Albrighton.
72 min: Brighton get another corner, and Schmeichel asks that he won’t get his ribs tickled again. No matter, the ball goes out.
70 min: Brighton have a corner, and Kasper Schmeichel claims it, and does so while complaining about the dig in the ribs he received when collecting it.
69 min: Off goes Mac Allister, clearly not as tireless as previously thought, and on comes Alzate, who goes to left wing-back.
67 min: Tavares looks to be in on goal but is stopped by a great tackle by Bissouma.
65 min: Brighton now looking ragged. As ever, they are paying for their lack of ability to make hay when the sun shines.
63 min: Iheanancho scored a fine goal against Burnley but that was as good a goal, perhaps mostly because of the quality of passing but also the coolness of the strike. Brighton had no answer.
Lovely, slidden pass by Tielemans, and a lovely, calm, delayed finish by Iheancho.
60 min: Some talk that Shane Flynn might be coming in for Leicester. Will he be like Sean Flynn, once of Cov City or Sean Flynn, son of Errol?
58 min: Tavares, quiet since that exocet shot in the first half, is the target for a long pass from Castagne. He is quick, the teenager, but not that quick.
57 min: A tactical switch by Leicester? Ricardo seems to be right wing, ahead of a back four. Brendan does like to tinker and he probably needs to.
55 min: A Brighton attack after some Mac Allister fizz, but then Schmeichel launches another attack for Leicester, one that breaks down when Tielemans overplays it. The game is opening up.
53 min: Iheanacho gets a flash of goal, as he is released by a Castagne pass down the inside-left channel. He rattles the side netting.
52 min: Graham Potter is making some positional changes, perhaps worried by Leicester’s greater purpose and dominance of possession.
50 min: Mac Allister is snapping at heels all game, really trying to put Leicester off theri stroke. And it’s working so far. How long can Brighton sustain this? That’s the question.
48 min: Vardy tries to get Iheanacho in but Brighton get it clear. Leicester look a little more purposeful than in the first half.
47 min: Ndidi tries to release Ricardo but the pass is overhit. Maupay, at the other end, is caught offside again.
46 min: Back away we go, and no changes made by either manager.
Peter Oh chose to watch Juventus v Lazio instead. “Grazie mille Giovanni! Those interested in the Chelsea and Arsenal alumni clubs might want to know that Juve have started with Juan Cuadrado, Álvaro Morata, and Aaron Ramsey. “
It’s currently 2-1 to Juve.
The scoreline seems fair. Brighton have been the better team throughout, and Lallana’s goal was a real moment of quality. Tavares’ shot - and Sanchez’s save - showed Leicester are not out of it. And Brighton may well retreat into their shell. Leicester’s quality has so far been missing but they are still in the contest.
45 min: One minute added on at the end of the half.
44 min: Maupay has the ball in the net from a fine Lallana pass. There will be no need for VAR. Good decision from the linesman, even there wasn’t any daylight.
42 min: Mac Allister, back and typically active, comes back to stop Tielemans in his tracks. It’s been a manful effort from Brighton. They need another goal.
40 min: Close for Brighton! Maupay holds the ball up well, and buys a foul from Fafana. Nice forward play again from him. Gross takes the free-kick, and Lallana’s flick comes off the post and bounces out. No takers for the rebound.
38 min: Rick, an economist, asks of that Iheancho/Mac Allister interface: “ How in the world is that not at least a booking with the raised arm/elbow into MacAllister’s head? Arm doesn’t need to be up there.
36 min: Brighton in danger of sitting back after that early impetus. The reasons for their anxiety are understandable...and here’s why: Vardy nods down and Tavares rattles one that Sanchez has to make a fine, strong save to stop. It was hit hard and low. Great football all round. The highest quality of the night.
34 min: Neal Maupay makes what used to be known as a buccaneering run before his pass into the middle is cleared. No lack of effort from him, but the quality of chances and finish has been lacking a little of late.
32 min: Vardy is pulled down by Gross when the German had lost the ball. That was cynical but a yellow card is avoided.
30 min: Mac Allister is in the wars, when Iheanacho’s inadvertent elbow catches the Argentinian on the jawbone. That will hurt, and he leaves the field looking unsure on his feet.
29 min: Bissouma does well to sweep up some Leicester danger. Lovely play.
27 min: Brighton by far the better team in defence as well as attack. They hold their shape well just as Vardy scampers to the byline, and then clear a corner. Sanchez launches a long pass from a goal kick and there is a brief moment of chaos in the Leicester defence. Then everyone seems to fall over at the same time. The danger is cleared.
25 min: Iheanacho gets some space, the ball to Vardy is on but Ben White’s bulk gets in the way. Good defending while Vardy looked a tad slow. He still seems to be struggling with that prior muscle injury.
23 min: Mac Allister, who has been quiet, takes a whack from Tielemans but no real harm done. Then Brighton almost score from an extended session of headers and volleys in the box before Lallana is penalised for a handball. Leicester are sat deep, and off them.
21 min: Lovely backheel from Lallana to Maupay. Signs of an understanding between the pair even if an offside flag is waved to break up the frivolity.
20 min: Castagne keeps having to cut back on to his left foot. He’s far better suited to being a right back. Leicester’s back three/back five is not working as a unit.
18 min: A Leicester attack, and Tielemans’ flick is intercepted just as Tavares looked to seize on it. A gentle lifting of the pace from Leicester. Then Ricardo and Sanchez clatter into each other. The goalkeeper was brave. Both are OK to carry on.
16 min: Taveres gives the ball away to set up another wave of Brighton attacking. Leicester have enjoyed very little time on the ball.
14 min: Brendan is chewing and pacing. Graham Potter hardly looks much more comfortable.
12 min: Leicester have been slack. And deserved to go behind. Could the great choke be on again? That would seem a shame as they have been great to watch all season. Then again, they were that way last season until it came apart.
How wrong can you be? Maupay shows real bravery in setting up Lallana who wallops in a great finish. That’s the mark of a player used to doing things on a grander stage.
9 min: Trossard is robbed before Brighton win the ball back. But the ball again drifts away into nothingness. This is a fault that lets Brighton down. They don’t seem to have the player that makes things happen.
7 min: Lallana, Fofana...a combination of words that sound like some scatting in an Iron Butterfly freakout. Anyway, they result in another Brighton corner. That’s cleared away. Brighton pushing on, Leicester sitting back.
6 min: Peter Oh: “When it comes to matches like this where I don’t have a horse in the race, I like to focus on how members of the Liverpool Alumni Club are doing. I see that Adam Lallana is in Brighton’s starting XI but I also have the option of switching over to Serie A coverage, where Lazio have three alumni starting at Juventus (Pepe Reina, Lucas Leiva, and Luis Alberto). Which match do you reckon I should spend my time on?”
Luis Alberto: Liverpool legend. Former Brendan charge too.
5 min: Schmeichel scampers when the ball bounces back off a Leicester leg. A Brighton corner results but Dunk knocks behind.
3 min: Dan Burn has to concede a corner. Tielemans takes. Brighton get it clear and Leicester are forced all the way back. Schmeichel lashes a long ball forward but to little avail.
1 min: Early touch for Veltman as an attacking full-back in the continuing absence of Tariq Lamptey. Brighton begin on the front foot.
And away we go at the Amex, with Brendan Rodgers and Graham Potter exchanging fist bumps. Potter sheerly towers over Brendan in person if not in the Premier League table.
Brendan Rodgers speaks to Sky Sports.
[Fofana]’s a big talent for such a young player, and Wilf does a good job for us at the back but it’s good to have him back. [Taveres] He’s an attacking base player. He wants to run forward, receive the ball. We have a lot of attacking base players out and I’ve been impressed with him since the first few days when I saw him in training. I’m looking forward to putting him in.
Graham Potter speaks to Sky Sports.
Probably both I would say, we were disappointed with the results and the manner of the results. Ultimately we are in this game to get results. We are not the only team to have those challenges. The key for us is to make better chances. You need a little bit of luck. Lets hope we get some tonight. [On Lallana] He’s done really well when he’s come in. He’s had a bit of time off. He’s an important player. We have to play well and have a good balance.
Alexis Mac Allister spoke to Jacob Steinberg earlier this week.
Related: Alexis Mac Allister: 'I keep my roots. I had a barbecue when we almost had snow'
Leicester make two changes. Papy Mendy and Hamza Choudhury are replaced by Wesley Fofana. Sidnei Tavares gets his first Premier League start. It only takes 90 minutes. For Brighton, Adam Lallana replaces Aaron Connolly.
Brighton: Sanchez, Veltman, White, Dunk, Burn, Bissouma, Gross, Trossard, Mac Allister, Lallana, Maupay
Subs: Steele, Moder, Jahanbakhsh, Alzate, Welbeck, Izquierdo, Tau, Propper, Zeqiri
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The Foxes' starting XI for #BhaLei ♦️
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With Leicester rocking on their heels and hamstrung by injuries, this looks a decent chance for Brighton to open up a six-point gap on Fulham, and also distance themselves from crisis club Newcastle. Now, can they find a goal to get the job done? They never managed more than one in their February, which started with a 1-0 win over Liverpool but no further victories. Last week against West Brom will be recalled for refereeing controversy but the truth is that Graham Potter’s team haven’t scored enough to pull themselves from safety. At that point, all talk of being too good to go down is rendered irrelevant. Leicester, shorn of Jonny Evans and badly missing Harvey Barnes’ zest from the left to add to an already grim injury list, are limping home, just as Brighton are clinging on to safety. They are in third place but have Chelsea lurking behind them with intent. This current predicament is a severe test for Brendan Rodgers, particularly after last season’s slide out of the top four.
What does all that mean? An all-time Premier League classic is in the offing. Join me.
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