Brighton and Hove Albion vs Leicester City. Premier League.
Amex StadiumAttendance30,629.
Saturday 31 March 2018 19:05, UK
Late goals from Vicente Iborra and Jamie Vardy handed ten-man Leicester a 2-0 win against Brighton at the Amex Stadium after Glenn Murray had missed a penalty.
A poor game sprung into life after 77 minutes when Jose Izquierdo won a penalty for the hosts but Murray, who has been in good goalscoring form of late, saw his effort brilliantly saved by Kasper Schmeichel.
That miss proved costly just six minutes later as Iborra delicately glanced a header from a Ben Chilwell cross into the bottom corner although Leicester's slender lead was put in jeopardy when Wilfred Ndidi was sent off five minutes later.
However, with Brighton throwing men forward in search of an equaliser, Leicester picked them off on the counter-attack with Vardy scoring their second deep into stoppage time.
Stray passes and sloppy passages of play dominated the opening 45 minutes as both sides struggled to get into their rhythm. However, it was Brighton who had the only meaningful chance of the half when Murray blasted a shot wide of the post with only Schmeichel to beat after being played through by Pascal Gross.
There was a slight improvement in the second half as Brighton began to take control of the game with Gross forcing an excellent stop from Schmeichel with a rasping drive from distance. Brighton's wingers Jurgen Locadia and Izquierdo were causing Leicester's defence plenty of problems too with each member of their back four cautioned.
Then on 77 minutes, Brighton had the perfect chance to break the deadlock. Izquierdo drifted into the box and was felled by Ndidi, although he certainly went down in theatrical fashion. Murray stepped up to take it but his effort, down to Schmeichel's left was at the perfect height for the 'keeper to save it.
Schmeichel's penalty heroics proved to be the turning point in the game as six minutes later Iborra gave them the lead. The summer signing from Sevilla found himself completely unmarked in the Brighton penalty area and he punished Brighton's slack marking by clinically nodding Ben Chilwell's pinpoint cross beyond Mathew Ryan, who was rooted to the spot.
Brighton were given fresh hope of finding an equaliser four minutes later when Ndidi was sent off for a second yellow after mistiming a challenge on Shane Duffy and from the resulting free-kick, Schmeichel made another great stop to deny Solly March.
In the fourth minute of added time, Gaetan Bong somehow contrived to miss an open goal when his header from March's corner went wide and just a minute later Leicester sealed their victory as Vardy tapped in substitute Demarai Gray's cross-shot from a yard out.
This was Brighton's fourth Premier League home defeat, and first against a non 'big-six' side.
Wilfred Ndidi's red card was Leicester's fourth of the season in the Premier League - no side has been shown more (level with Chelsea and Watford).
This was the 23rd away Premier League game in which Leicester had a player sent off, but only the second they went on to win (also beating Hull in December 2014).
Jamie Vardy has scored in five of Leicester's last six away league games, with the other game in that run ending 0-0.
Vicente Iborra has scored in back-to-back Premier League games, after netting in just one of his first 14 in the competition.
38% of Iborra's goals in the big five European leagues have been headers (12/32).
Kasper Schmeichel has saved three of the 14 Premier League penalties he's faced - the same number his father Peter saved during his time in the competition (21 faced).
Leicester were nowhere near at their best on the day and had their goalkeeper to thanks for keeping them in the game at 0-0 when he made a brilliant save from Glenn Murray's penalty.
The game completely turned on that moment as Leicester belatedly awoke from their slumber to seize the initiative and take the lead soon after.
Schmeichel made another great stop from just under his crossbar from March's free-kick to keep Leicester in front before Jamie Vardy finished it off with virtually the last kick of the game.
Brighton's next game is also at the AMEX as they entertain Huddersfield Town next Saturday at 3pm. Leicester are also at home next Saturday as they host Newcastle United at the King Power, which kicks off at the same time.
