Brighton vs Leicester: Seagulls soar over disheveled Foxes

A first-minute Leicester City goal was a distant memory for Brendan Rodgers’ Foxes by the end of a 4-2 Brighton and Hove Albion at the Amex Stadium that felt just as lopsided as the final score line.

Alexis Mac Allister scored a terrific free kick after converting from the penalty spot, joining Leandro Trossard, Moises Caicedo, and a Luke Thomas own goal on the score sheet.

Patson Daka had a goal and an assist for Leicester. Kelechi Iheanacho also scored as the Foxes had it 1-0 and later 2-2 before falling apart.

WATCH BRIGHTON vs LEICESTER FULL MATCH REPLAY STREAM

Brighton’s going to finish another weekend inside the Premier League’s top four, boasting a 4-1-1 record and sitting three points clear of fifth-place Chelsea.

Leicester has a point through six matches. The Foxes have conceded 16 goals.

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What we learned from Brighton vs Leicester

Someone weird is going down this year, and Leicester has to internalize that: The Foxes won the Premier League in recent memory and have been to European competition more than once. But the investment and relative strength of two newly-promoted clubs and a pair of wins for the third seem to indicate that we’ve reached an age where a more traditional Premier League club could go down this year. Leicester’s defending was ravaged on Sunday. There’s no other way to put it, and it’s fair to say that the Foxes as currently constructed are probable to be in a relegation fight all season.

Brighton has hope for Europe: As much as this writer’s nagged the transfer spirits to allow Brighton a traditional-firing striker to send their season into European competition, the Seagulls have only been shutout once this season (0-0 vs Newcastle) and are in the top-quarter of teams for xGA. This season’s performances are a total team effort and there isn’t much suggesting that Brighton is incapable of keeping this up over 38 games.

Leicester’s fullbacks have brutal day: It started with Luke Thomas adjusting his shin guard and slowing his way into action when James Maddison gave the ball away at midfield on a Brighton goal and never really let up. James Justin was caught out of position almost as often as Thomas, who had already recorded an unlucky own goal. Justin and Thomas are good going forward so maybe the idea will be to go to a three-CB set at some point, but at constructed? Well, look out.

Getty Images

Brendan Rodgers reaction: Not listening to outside noise

“I don’t listen to it,” Rodgers said after the loss. “My focus is on the football and trying to give the players the confidence and structure to our game to get back to winning. We will arrive with a new energy, focus, and hopefully confidence to the game next week. You put the hard yards in now and work, not shirk responsibility. The results are down to me, I am the manager, and we need to go away and work even harder and get that first win.”

Alexis Mac Allister free kick goal video

What a hit.

Tactical focus

Potter’s bonus-striker magic touches everyone: Not sure what to call Brighton’s plan for forwards, which usually includes a player we know to be a striker (today, Danny Welbeck) and someone perhaps less recognizable for their skill in that position. Pascal Gross has done a lot of this but Sunday saw Enock Mwepu in the role. Last season’s impressive midfielder was, instead, mostly up top. It’s working, whether Mwepu, Gross, Trossard, and maybe soon (if it clicks) Pervis Estupinan.

Stars of the show

Leandro Trossard

Pascal Gross

Patson Daka

Alexis Mac Allister

What’s next?

Leicester City hosts Aston Villa at 10am ET Saturday, while Brighton’s off to Bournemouth at the same day and time.

How to watch Brighton vs Leicester live, stream link and start time

Kick off: 9 am ET, Sunday
TV: USA Network
Online: Stream via Peacock Premium

Key storylines & star players

Of course, as has been the case for the entirety of Brighton’s time in the Premier League, the goals aren’t yet flooding in at the other end of the field, leaving the margins much too fine on far too many occasions. Would-be wins become draws, and draws become defeats. Of the Premier League’s non-big six sides, no club has a higher expected goals per 90 (tied-4th, with Brentford) or lower expected goals against per 90 (4th-best) than Brighton.

As for Leicester, “misery” comes to mind when describing the Foxes’ start of the 2022-23 season for Brendan Rodgers’ side. It’s hard to disagree with Rodgers’ assessment that Leicester are a worse off side now than when the transfer window opened, when so many other mid-table and bottom-half sides did plenty of business to get better.

Brighton team news, injuries, lineup options

OUT: Jakub Moder (knee), Adam Lallana (calf), Jeremy Sarmiento (knee)

Leicester team news, injuries, lineup options

OUT: Ricardo Pereira (achilles), Ryan Bertrand (knee), Daniel Amartey (undisclosed)

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