Daniel Amartey headed home a late winner as Leicester boosted their quest for Champions League football by coming from behind to defeat lowly Brighton 2-1.
Amartey, who had been at fault for Adam Lallana’s first-half opener, made amends as he nodded in Marc Albrighton’s corner three minutes from time to move the Foxes up to second in the Premier League table, two points above Manchester United.
Kelechi Iheanacho had cancelled out Lallana’s first Seagulls goal by calmly lifting the ball over Albion goalkeeper Robert Sanchez.
Victory at the Amex Stadium prevented Brendan Rodgers’ men going three successive top-flight games without victory for the first time this season following defeat to Arsenal and a midweek draw with Burnley.
Brighton, meanwhile, remain just three points above the relegation zone after their winless run stretched to five league games.
Former England midfielder Lallana also hit a post for Graham Potter’s hosts, while Neal Maupay had a goal disallowed.
⏰ Full time at the Amex.
📲 https://t.co/S3j1TIedJv#BHAFC 🔵⚪️ pic.twitter.com/j3g1GXQFwg— Brighton & Hove Albion (@OfficialBHAFC) March 6, 2021
Leicester arrived on the south coast seeking to reignite their top-four push following a rocky 10 days in which they dropped five points, crashed out of the Europa League and saw their substantial injury list lengthen.
Foxes boss Rodgers handed a full Premier League debut to 19-year-old Portuguese midfielder Sidnei Tavares, while defender Wesley Fofana was fit to start for the first time in more than a month.
With Aaron Connolly injured, Albion’s only change was to bring back Lallana and he wasted little time in justifying his selection.
Ghana international Amartey sloppily conceded possession from a throw-in deep in Foxes territory and, after being slipped clear by Maupay, Lallana coolly slotted past Kasper Schmeichel to claim his first Premier League goal since earning former club Liverpool a 1-1 draw at Manchester United in October 2019.
The 10th-minute breakthrough was no more than the Seagulls deserved and would have been welcome relief for Albion manager Potter, who had seen his struggling side register 66 shots in their last three games but score only once and collect just a solitary point to leave them perilously placed.
Lacklustre Leicester were struggling to find rhythm but almost levelled nine minutes before the break.
Academy graduate Tavares – whose name did not feature on the back of the matchday programme – thumped goalwards from the edge of the area following a Jamie Vardy knock-down, only for Seagulls stopper Sanchez to superbly turn the ball behind.
Despite that near miss and greater possession, the visitors would not have been too disappointed to only trail by a single goal at the interval.
"Superb from Tielemans - the weight of pass for Iheanacho was perfect, and then it was some finish to get us back in the game!" ✨ - @MattElliott01 pic.twitter.com/WDfuHU2FJe
Advertisement— Leicester City (@LCFC) March 6, 2021
Lallana was denied his second of the evening in the 40th minute after clipping the left upright with a glancing header from Pascal Gross’ free-kick, before Frenchman Maupay had an effort ruled out for a marginal offside.
Leicester improved after the restart and levelled with 62 minutes on the clock.
After Lallana gave away possession in Brighton’s half, Youri Tielemans’ clever pass caught out Seagulls captain Lewis Dunk and the unmarked Iheanacho – who scored the late winner when the clubs met in the FA Cup fifth-round a month ago – confidently lifted the ball over Sanchez and into the top right corner.
Brighton were finding it difficult to replicate their impressive first-half showing.
Yet Lallana wasted a golden chance to restore the lead when he directed an effort too close to Schmeichel.
That missed proved costly late one when Sanchez flapped at Albrighton’s set-piece from the left, allowing the stooping Amartey a simple close-range finish.
Dan Burn squandered a fine chance to level at the death as Leicester bounced back from their recent wobble to extend Brighton’s problems.
