SO EASY RIYADER
Mahrez ignores transfer talk to down struggling Seagulls
RIYAD MAHREZ inspired Leicester to breeze past toothless Brighton.
Shinji Okazaki cashed in on goalkeeper Mathew Ryan’s error after just 52 seconds to set the tone at the King Power Stadium.
Harry Maguire then netted on his home debut as Craig Shakespeare’s men strolled to their first win of the season.
It was as easy as any win comes in the Premier League and carefree Mahrez led the charge as he taunted Brighton, shaking off continued transfer speculation.
Roma have had three bids rejected for the Algeria international – the most recent of £32million – but there was no sulking from the winger who put on the sort of display which has made him so sought after.
He was back to the form which earned him the PFA Player of the Year award in 2016 during Leicester’s shock title success.
Leicester boss Craig Shakespeare was full of praise for Mahrez’s attitude.
Mahrez has said he wants to leave but Shakespeare has been pleased with his reaction ahead of the transfer deadline this month.
He said: “Everyone knows the speculation about the bid we had and it wasn’t accepted.
“I’ve spoken to him individually and said, ‘While you’re here you need to be professional and respectful of your team-mates and Leicester City Football Club’. “Credit to him, he’s done that.
“While he remains as focused as his performance here, we all know his ability on the field.
“And while he’s in that frame of mind, he’ll always be considered for selection.
“He’s the type of player who enjoys his football, if he’s not training he doesn’t enjoy the recovery session. He always says ‘I don’t want to rest, I want to train’. He wants to play all the time, he’s like a kid on the playground.
“Thankfully he set us off here.”
Jamie Vardy limping off with an ankle problem in injury time was Leicester’s only worry but Shakespeare dismissed any fears.
He added: “I’ve just come from Ward 10 in there. He’s got a heavily strapped ankle, he has those battles but we wouldn’t change him. Knowing Jamie he’ll be fine.”
Newly promoted Brighton have suffered back-to-back defeats without scoring in their first two games in the Premier League and managed just two shots on target, neither of which troubled Kasper Schmeichel.
Boss Chris Hughton said: “We certainly weren’t at the level we need to be on the ball but we stuck in there and at 1-0 you have always got a chance.
“Then it’s difficult again when you concede from a set-play, where we have got to be better.
“They were two soft goals and we are up against a team that have had great league experience in the last three years and what they achieved the season before.
“They didn’t open us up as much as they could have. Maty Ryan never had to make the type of saves that keep us in the game, and I felt there was an opportunity for us to do better.”
Brighton had no answer to Mahrez, barely making a dent in Leicester’s game plan, and, despite spending around £40m this summer, looked ill-equipped to deal with the demands of the Premier League.
With former teams Norwich and Newcastle, and now Brighton, Hughton has seen his sides score just 18 times in 25 games on the road in the Premier League.
It was Brighton’s first top-flight away game for 34 years but they fell behind after just 52 seconds following that gaffe by Ryan.
Mahrez tricked his way into the area and curled in a shot which Ryan should have dealt with.
Instead, the Australian, 25, who joined from Valencia for around £5m in the summer, spilled it straight to the waiting Okazaki, who accepted the tap-in for his second goal of the season.
With Brighton’s first-half attack virtually anonymous there was a real sense Leicester would not need a second goal but Maguire nodded in Mahrez’s corner at the far post nine minutes after half-time, his first goal since a £17m switch from Hull.
It was routine stuff from Leicester and another stark reminder to Brighton of the challenge they face to stay in the Premier League.