Maddison throws his hat into ring
TWO- GOAL REMINDER TO SOUTHGATE
JAMES MADDISON underlined just why Gareth Southgate should take him to the Euros next summer.
The 24- year- old scored two belters to knock the stuffing out of shell- shocked Brighton.
Maddison has made no secret of his bitter disappointment at being overlooked by the England boss for the recent games with Ireland, Iceland and Belgium.
He has had one taste of Three Lions action but remains with that lone cap which came last year.
Summer hip surgery may have influenced Southgate’s decision but the midfielder’s precocious talent is there for all to see now.
The Seagulls had actually made a decent start and might well have taken the lead through Danny Welbeck.
He was denied by a superb Kasper Schmeichel block but after that Leicester slammed the foot on the pedal.
Maddison started it midway through the first half, just after Jamie Vardy had thumped a shot against the post. He seized on a half- clearance on the edge of the box to sweep a left- footer towards the bottom corner of the net.
Mat Ryan did not really deal with it and was left thumping the ground in anger after allowing the ball to squeeze through ugh his fingers. Four minutes before fore the break Vardy, right, did id what he does best. He e steamed in to meet a James Justin cross and d diverted it past Ryan.
Brighton did not know w what had hit them, but there here was worse to come. Vardy cut t th the ball back to Maddison and, although his view to goal was obscured, he jinked one way and then the other to curl a gorgeous left- footer into the top corner.
The Foxes went into the game trying to bolster a patchy home record. They were the quicker to settle, forcing a couple of corners and Maddison might have done better with an angled shot.
Then the classy playmaker turned provider, laying a ball into the path of Marc Albrighton who warmed keeper Ryan’s fingers.
But Brighton decided enough was enough. Alireza Jahanbakhsh tried a left- foot shot that forced Schmeichel to dive to the foot of his post to save – and then a big moment. Solly March started the mov move with a slick pass and Jah Jahanbakhsh split the b back line with a deadweight pass straight into th the path of Welbeck.
Schmeichel produced a b brilliant block when one on o one, and that was about as good d as it got for Brighton.
LEICESTER ( 3- 4- 2- 1): Schmeichel 7; Fofana 7, Evans 7, Fuchs 7; Albrighton 7, Ndidi 7 ( Mendy 80), Tielemans 7, Justin 7; Perez 6 ( Barnes 63, 6), Maddison 9 ( Praet 74); Vardy 8. Goals: Maddison 27, 44, Vardy 41.
BRIGHTON ( 3- 4- 1- 2): Ryan 6; White 6, Dunk 6, Burn 6; Veltman 6, Gross 6, Bissouma 5 ( Mac Allister 72), March 7; Maupay 6; Welbeck 6 ( Connolly 63, 5), Jahanbakhsh 7 ( Alzate 56, 5).