Match Reports

Report: Albion 0 Leicester City 2

By Alex Stedman • 31 March 2018

  • Albion dominate first half at the Amex
  • Glenn Murray has spot-kick saved in second period
  • Vicente Iborra and Jamie Vardy claim win for ten-man visitors
  • Seagulls drop to 13th in the Premier League

Brighton & Hove Albion fell to a 2-0 defeat to Leicester City on Saturday at the Amex Stadium. 

Glenn Murray missed a second half spot-kick which was the hosts’ best chance of the game, before Vicente Iborra’s late header and Jamie Vardy's close-range finish proved to be the difference.

Chris Hughton made one change to the Albion team that took to the field in the previous Premier League game at Everton three weeks ago with Jurgen Locadia coming into the side for the suspended Anthony Knockaert on the right.

It was a first Premier League start for the Dutchman, having started the game with Manchester United in the Emirates FA Cup a fortnight earlier.

The Seagulls began the game brightly and created a succession of openings inside the opening third.

Lewis Dunk’s great ball out of defence in behind stretched the Foxes defence as he looked for the run of Locadia who got on the end of the pass but hooked a volley over Kasper Schmeichel’s crossbar. 

The forward then exchanged passes inside his own half with Beram Kayal and got into the area before seeing his shot deflected. Albion then drove forward once more and Davy Propper was brought down by visiting captain Wes Morgan for the game’s first yellow card. 

Hughton’s men continued to look potent in attacking areas, and Gross and Locadia combined well before Jose Izquierdo couldn’t reach the latter’s dangerous cross from the right.

Vicente Iborra’s header from a well-worked Leicester City free-kick was the visitors’ first chance of the contest after 18 minutes, and Ndidi picked up the game’s second caution for a foul on Kayal as Albion looked to break.

Glenn Murray capitalised on some lacklustre visiting play out of defence when he intercepted a pass and fizzed one narrowly over the crossbar with ten minutes left until the interval – and he was to get an even better chance soon after. 

Gross profited from more slack play from the visitors when he fed the ball through to the on-rushing Murray, but the striker fired wide having found himself one-on-one with Schmeichel.

The second half began with the hosts once again on the front foot, and Gross forced Schmeichel into a smart one-handed stop with a shot from the edge of the box.

Izquierdo was set away down the left by Gaetan Bong but was crowded out by some last-ditch Foxes defending, before Shinji Ozakai was replaced by Fousseni Diabete as the visiting side made the first change on 56 minutes.

Ben Chilwell and Danny Simpson both picked up yellow cards in quick succession for the visitors as the game entered the final third then Kayal also entered the referee’s notebook for a foul on the halfway line as the Foxes threatened to break forward.

Harry Maguire then brought down Ezequiel Schelotto as Albion advanced forward at pace, meaning all four of the Leicester City defence had been booked. 

Solly March was Albion’s first change when he replaced Locadia with 15 minutes to go and the midfielder soon had an impact immediately after his introduction.

He wriggled into the box and found Izquierdo and when the Colombian was bundled over by Ndidi it allowed Murray an opportunity to score from the penalty spot.

But Schmeichel guessed the right way and dived to his left to palm away the striker’s effort and keep the scores level.

That save would prove to be pivotal as Leicester went ahead in the 83rd minute.

Chilwell delivered a deep cross from the left, and Iborra headed into the far bottom corner past Maty Ryan to give Claude Puel’s men a late advantage.

Hughton then introduced Sam Baldock for Kayal in an attacking change as Albion went in search of an equaliser before the visitors were reduced to ten men in an eventful final period when Ndidi was shown a second yellow card for a foul on Shane Duffy.

March’s effort from the resulting free-kick was acrobatically tipped over by Schmeichel, but that was to be the last chance for the Seagulls.

Vardy added a second for Puel's side with virtually the last kick of the game when he tapped home substitute Demari Gray's cross at the back post, and now the Seagulls will be hoping to bounce back from the defeat next Saturday when they host Huddersfield Town.

Albion line-up: Ryan, Schelotto, Dunk ©, Duffy, Bong, Propper, Kayal (Baldock 84), Gross, Locadia (March 75), Murray, Izquierdo.

Subs not used: Krul, Bruno, Goldson, Suttner, Hemed. 

Leicester City line-up: Schmeichel, Simpson, Morgan (c), Maguire, Chilwell, Albrighton (Gray 79), Ndidi, Iborra, Mahrez (Fuchs 85), Okazaki (Diabete 56) Vardy.

Subs not used: Jakupović, Dragović, Silva, Iheanacho.

 

LOTTERY RESULTS

1ST PRIZE £1000 131820
2ND PRIZE       133241
3RD PRIZE       130276
4TH PRIZE       134201
5TH PRIZE       131604


ALBION HAT TRICK

1ST £650 3189
2ND £50  3044
3RD £25  1516

1ST GOAL TIME 83RD MINUTE