Dan just the man for a late winner
DANIEL AMARTEY gave Leicester’s Champions League aspirations a major boost — and Brighton’s survival hopes a kick in the wotsits.
The Foxes defender headed home Marc Albrighton’s corner with just three minutes of normal time remaining after Kelechi Iheanacho had cancelled out Adam Lallana’s first-half opener.
Brighton and their boss Graham Potter couldn’t be more down on their luck at the moment and they must be wondering what they have done to deserve yet another setback.
Particularly because they were head and shoulders the best side in the first half.
But Leicester refused to give up and Amartey’s late show will give them a major confidence boost for the run-in.
Lallana’s effort was his first for Brighton and you had to go back 18 months to find his last one.
It came against Manchester United when he was still a Liverpool player, with Leicester boss Brendan Rodgers ironically the manager who’d taken him to Anfield in the first place.
Both will have arrived at the Amex Stadium last night knowing how important a win would be for their two sides, albeit for very different reasons.
Leicester came into the game on the back of a miserable 11 days which had seen them knocked out of the Europa League by Slavia Prague and lose ground in the race for the top four with a defeat by Arsenal and a draw against Burnley.
Brighton, on the other hand, had managed just one win in six prior to kick-off, with their victory against Liverpool at the start of February the last time they’d tasted success.
Not that they looked to be lacking confidence in a dominant first half and they thoroughly deserved the lead they held when they went in at half-time after Neal Maupay held off a couple of Foxes players and slipped a lovely ball to Lallana who provided a neat finish.
Brighton were unfortunate not to go in two ahead at the break after Pascal Gross’ free-kick met with a cute, deft header from Lallana.
The effort beat Schmeichel but came back off a post and Wilfred Ndidi hoofed it clear.
Credit to Leicester, they were a different side after the break and just as they deserved to be behind they just about merited their equaliser.
It came when Youri Tielemens released Iheanacho with a lovely through-ball and he provided the finish.
Lallana had another fine effort at the other end but Schmeichel was equal to it and the two sides looked to be heading for a point that was no good to either.
At this stage it’s wins not draws that both of these teams need and thanks to Amarety the visitors left the South Coast with all three points.