Match ends, Brighton and Hove Albion 2, Leicester City 1.
Brighton's superb start to the Premier League season continued as they held off a late Leicester rally to move up to third place in the table.
The Foxes twice thought they had rescued a point in the closing stages but Ademola Lookman and Wilfred Ndidi both saw goals chalked off for Harvey Barnes straying offside.
Brighton bossed the opening hour but needed a controversial penalty to set them on their way, Neal Maupay scoring his third goal of the season from the spot after Jannik Vestergaard's handball.
Vestergaard argued a foul by Maupay led him to handle Shane Duffy's header but, after lengthy deliberations, referee Stuart Attwell awarded a spot-kick.
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Danny Welbeck doubled Brighton's advantage early in the second period, glancing home a near-post header from Leandro Trossard's free-kick out wide.
Leicester finally sprang into life, Jamie Vardy halving the deficit by side-footing Youri Tielemans' first-time cross in from close range after a fine one-touch move.
But they were denied a point as Barnes was twice adjudged to have interfered with play when Lookman scuffed home from a corner and Ndidi headed in from another.
Defeat marked a third loss in five games for Leicester while Brighton registered their first Premier League victory over the Foxes in nine attempts since their promotion into the top flight four years ago.
Spot-kick saga raises VAR issue again
Brighton led thanks to Attwell's decision to penalise Vestergaard for handball when the Denmark defender was beaten to a header from a corner by Duffy.
The referee did not initially award the penalty, gesturing for a corner instead, but changed his mind after a conference with his assistant.
There was no doubt that Vestergaard's right arm was raised high in an unnatural position when it diverted Duffy's header off target.
However, Leicester argued the flailing arm was as a result of the defender's left arm being held down by Maupay, impeding his jump, and were furious that the video assistant referee did not intervene.
The Foxes were again aggrieved by the officials with the two efforts that were ruled out through no fault of the scorers but Barnes was in the eye-line of Seagulls goalkeeper Robert Sanchez in both instances.
They had other chances to go home with a point but Caglar Soyuncu missed with a free header from yet another corner while Tielemans flashed wide in injury time as Brighton clung on.
Such a late onslaught had looked unlikely for much of the game as Brighton fully merited the two-goal lead Maupay and Welbeck gave them.
But after Vardy marked his 250th Premier League appearance with his 150th Leicester goal, the visitors rallied and were ultimately unfortunate to come away empty-handed.
Player of the match
BissoumaYves Bissouma
Brighton & Hove Albion
Avg
- Squad number8Player nameBissoumaAverage rating
7.51
- Squad number11Player nameTrossardAverage rating
7.50
- Squad number24Player nameDuffyAverage rating
7.43
- Squad number18Player nameWelbeckAverage rating
7.42
- Squad number14Player nameLallanaAverage rating
7.32
- Squad number3Player nameCucurellaAverage rating
7.28
- Squad number15Player nameModerAverage rating
7.07
- Squad number5Player nameDunkAverage rating
7.06
- Squad number9Player nameMaupayAverage rating
7.05
- Squad number20Player nameMarchAverage rating
7.02
- Squad number34Player nameVeltmanAverage rating
6.93
- Squad number1Player nameSánchezAverage rating
6.91
- Squad number33Player nameBurnAverage rating
6.90
- Squad number12Player nameMwepuAverage rating
6.63
Leicester City
Avg
- Squad number9Player nameVardyAverage rating
5.92
- Squad number8Player nameTielemansAverage rating
5.47
- Squad number7Player nameBarnesAverage rating
5.47
- Squad number37Player nameLookmanAverage rating
5.37
- Squad number1Player nameSchmeichelAverage rating
5.36
- Squad number21Player nameRicardo PereiraAverage rating
5.35
- Squad number25Player nameNdidiAverage rating
5.28
- Squad number14Player nameIheanachoAverage rating
5.07
- Squad number42Player nameSoumaréAverage rating
5.06
- Squad number27Player nameCastagneAverage rating
4.98
- Squad number4Player nameSöyüncüAverage rating
4.95
- Squad number23Player nameVestergaardAverage rating
4.93
- Squad number5Player nameBertrandAverage rating
4.84
- Squad number10Player nameMaddisonAverage rating
4.70
Line-ups
Brighton
Formation 4-4-2
- 1SánchezBooked at 90mins
- 34VeltmanBooked at 20mins
- 24Duffy
- 5Dunk
- 3Cucurella
- 20MarchSubstituted forMwepuat 62'minutes
- 8BissoumaSubstituted forModerat 79'minutes
- 14Lallana
- 18WelbeckSubstituted forBurnat 70'minutes
- 11Trossard
- 9Maupay
Substitutes
- 2Lamptey
- 7Connolly
- 10Mac Allister
- 12Mwepu
- 15Moder
- 17Alzate
- 23Steele
- 30Richards
- 33Burn
Leicester
Formation 4-3-3
- 1Schmeichel
- 21Ricardo Pereira
- 4Söyüncü
- 23Vestergaard
- 5BertrandSubstituted forCastagneat 68'minutes
- 8Tielemans
- 25NdidiBooked at 44mins
- 42SoumaréSubstituted forIheanachoat 75'minutes
- 10MaddisonSubstituted forLookmanat 45'minutes
- 9Vardy
- 7Barnes
Substitutes
- 11Albrighton
- 12Ward
- 14Iheanacho
- 18Amartey
- 20Choudhury
- 22Dewsbury-Hall
- 27Castagne
- 29Daka
- 37Lookman
- Referee:
- Stuart Attwell
- Attendance:
- 31,078
Match Stats
- Possession
- Home37%
- Away63%
- Shots
- Home12
- Away14
- Shots on Target
- Home5
- Away3
- Corners
- Home4
- Away9
- Fouls
- Home8
- Away10
Live Text
Post update
Full Time
Second Half ends, Brighton and Hove Albion 2, Leicester City 1.
Post update
Foul by Harvey Barnes (Leicester City).
Post update
Joël Veltman (Brighton and Hove Albion) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Booking
Robert Sánchez (Brighton and Hove Albion) is shown the yellow card.
Post update
Attempt missed. Youri Tielemans (Leicester City) right footed shot from the right side of the box is close, but misses to the right. Assisted by Ricardo Pereira.
Post update
Attempt blocked. Ademola Lookman (Leicester City) right footed shot from the centre of the box is blocked. Assisted by Jamie Vardy with a headed pass.
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Ademola Lookman (Leicester City) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Post update
Foul by Dan Burn (Brighton and Hove Albion).
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Kelechi Iheanacho (Leicester City) wins a free kick on the right wing.
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Foul by Dan Burn (Brighton and Hove Albion).
Post update
VAR Decision: No Goal Brighton and Hove Albion 2-1 Leicester City.
Post update
Offside, Leicester City. Wilfred Ndidi tries a through ball, but Harvey Barnes is caught offside.
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Corner, Leicester City. Conceded by Dan Burn.
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Attempt blocked. Youri Tielemans (Leicester City) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked. Assisted by Kelechi Iheanacho.
Post update
Ademola Lookman (Leicester City) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
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Foul by Enock Mwepu (Brighton and Hove Albion).
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Corner, Leicester City. Conceded by Robert Sánchez.
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Attempt saved. Harvey Barnes (Leicester City) right footed shot from outside the box is saved in the top centre of the goal. Assisted by Ademola Lookman.
Post update
Offside, Brighton and Hove Albion. Marc Cucurella tries a through ball, but Neal Maupay is caught offside.
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Comments
Join the conversation
Not much to say about football today with the passing of the legend that is Jimmy Greaves. A truly truly world class footballer and an out and out goalscoring machine. I was at his debut game for my beloved Spurs against Blackpool when he scored a hat trick. I can honestly say I never saw him dive or cheat. He was just a pure footballer. RIP Jimmy.
Anything that upsets Lineker is fine by me 🤣🤣🤣
I know that sounds crazy after 5 games but Norwich are 12pts behind them, Burnley are 11pts behind and Newcastle 10pts behind.
I can't see them catching up let alone overtaking Brighton.
Just my opinion.
Feel free to hate on me if your twit/insta been banned.