Kelechi Iheanacho impressed as Leicester City came back from a goal behind to beat Brighton & Hove Albion 2-1 at the Amex Stadium in the Premier League.
Brighton were rewarded for their strong start as Adam Lallana put them in front just ten minutes in. Leicester had just one big chance in the first period with Sidnei Tavares’ thumping effort from distance being saved by Robert Sanchez while Lallana saw an effort at the other end hit the woodwork while Neal Maupay had a goal chalked off for offside as half-time arrived.
Leicester looked more composed after the break and were able to equalise just after the hour mark as Kelechi Iheanacho produced a cool finish after being played in by a delightful through-ball from Youri Tielemans. With three minutes left in the game, the Foxes were ahead as Daniel Amartey headed home a corner after Sanchez failed to deal with it.
That strike was enough for Brendan Rodgers’ side to complete a comeback smash-and-grab win over the Seagulls, taking them past Manchester United into second place in the Premier League table. Here’s how we rated the performances of the Leicester stars at the Amex Stadium on the night.
Kasper Schmeichel: 6/10
Not a lot that the Leicester City captain could do to stop the opening goal. Good save to deny Lallana in the 80th minute and keep his team in the game. Strong presence in the box when he came to collect crosses.
Daniel Amartey: 7/10
Played Lallana onside for the opening goal after having messed up his throw-in. Redeemed himself with a solid display in defence before producing the most crucial moment of the game as he diverted Albrighton’s corner into the back of the net to win it for his team.
Daniel Amartey’s game by numbers vs. Brighton:
100% defensive aerial duels won
86% pass accuracy
8 ball recoveries
3/3 tackles won
1 shot
1 goalMatch-winner. ? pic.twitter.com/UEBSHc0Hiw
— Statman Dave (@StatmanDave) March 6, 2021
Wesley Fofana: 6/10
Back into the starting XI, the young Frenchman produced a good interception early in the game to stop a goalscoring chance. Was a bit wayward with his distribution in the first half as his attempted diagonals out to the right-wing didn’t always find the intended target. Kept it much simpler after the break while defending resolutely.
Caglar Soyuncu: 6/10
Charged out carelessly in the buildup to Brighton’s first goal. There was another moment when a player from the home team got past him with ease in the first period, while, like Fofana, his distribution also wasn’t on the mark. Much improved in the second period defensively and on the ball as well, producing some nice moments of interplay with Timothy Castagne in the left channel.
Wilfred Ndidi: 5.5/10
The Nigerian, at times, invited too much pressure on himself and his teammates with sloppy touches and passes, with one such misplaced pass almost leading to a goal. Managed to make the most number of interceptions in the game (7) but looked well below his best in an overall sense as he wasn’t always able to thwart the Seagulls from pouring forward.
Ricardo Pereira: 6/10
As always, provided good energy and outlet going forward down the right flank but wasn’t able to create many chances as Brighton doubled up on him to keep him quiet oftentimes. Didn’t shy away from his defensive duties, producing four interceptions and three tackles.
Sidnei Tavares: 6/10
"A super Sanchez save!" ??
Robert Sanchez makes a fine diving stop to deny 19-year-old Sidnei Tavares his first Leicester goal ?❌
? Watch on Sky Sports PL
? Follow #BHALEI here: https://t.co/SlChGXnbRY
? Download the @SkySports app! pic.twitter.com/HEkjsjU34X— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) March 6, 2021
Made his full Premier League debut on the night and showed a lot of promise. Drove forward at pace each time he got on the ball and came the closest to scoring for Leicester in the first half with a sensational half-volley from outside the box which was stopped by the Brighton goalkeeper. Promising signs.
Youri Tielemans: 7/10
Needed to be stronger against Neal Maupay in the buildup to Brighton’s goal in the first half. Wasn’t his usual self while on the ball in the first period but turned it around after the break, producing a brilliant pass to set Iheanacho up for the equaliser. Finished the game with two key passes and two dribbles while also putting in the hard yards defensively.
Timothy Castagne: 6/10
Made some decent forward runs and had a few neat moments of interplay with his teammates. But, like Pereira on the opposite wing, Castagne, too, wasn’t able to create any meaningful opportunities for his teammates on the night.
Kelechi Iheanacho: 7/10
Kelechi Iheanacho’s last 6 domestic games:
⚽️ vs. Fulham
❌ vs. Wolves
⚽️ vs. Brighton
❌ vs. Arsenal
⚽️ vs. Burnley
⚽️ vs. BrightonIn decent goal scoring form. ??? pic.twitter.com/rf5f8MwjYn
— Statman Dave (@StatmanDave) March 6, 2021
Had some nice moments in the first period when he dropped deep to get on the ball and found Jamie Vardy with eye-catching passes. Fired a decent chance into the side-netting before producing a composed finish to draw his team level. Another positive display from the former Manchester City man who is making the most of his chances amidst Leicester’s injury woes.
Jamie Vardy: 6/10
Worked hard at the top as usual but without much joy as the Brighton defence stayed tight to him in the first half. An intelligent header created the chance for Tavares in the first period. More involved after the break but wasn’t able to test the Brighton goalkeeper.
SUBSTITUTES
Marc Albrighton: 6.5/10
On for Tavares with less than 20 minutes left. Fine delivery from the corner to set Amartey up for the winning goal.
Hamza Choudhury: N/A
Replaced Iheanacho in stoppage time as Rodgers looked to protect his team’s lead.
