Leicester 2-2 Brighton: Good point for Albion at the King Power

History or context? Take your pick as to why a 2-2 draw away at Leicester City represented a good point on the road for Brighton.

Starting with history, Brighton have enjoyed trips to Leicester in the past about as much as Richard III, winning just twice at the King Power Stadium since the Foxes moved there in 2002.

One of those victories should have an asterisk next to it, the 4-1 victory in 2014 coming after Leicester had wrapped up the Championship title three days earlier and were in the midst of an almighty bender celebrating their triumph.

The Albion’s only win away against a sober Foxes at their current home came when Adam Virgo scored in a 1-0 success on August Bank Holiday Monday 2004.

Brighton’s record at Filbert Street was even worse, bar that famous League Cup second round second leg tie in 1994 when Jimmy Case was sent off for being deaf and the Seagulls shocked their hosts from two divisions higher by winning 2-0.

A sole Division One victory in 1980 at Filbert Street gives Brighton just three league triumphs away against Leicester in 122 years. The Seagulls simply do not like visiting a city where a King of England can be buried unnoticed under a carpark for 530 years.

As for context, Brighton came into the game playing the best football in their history, scoring goals for fun and beating anyone who stood in their way. Three points would have lifted the Albion into fifth in the table.

Leicester in contrast have spent the season struggling at the wrong end of the table having lost five of six games since the World Cup. Their only win had come in the FA Cup, a scrappy 1-0 victory away at a Gillingham side battling relegation from League Two.

This was exactly the sort of game the Albion cock up. Hammer Liverpool 3-0 before losing away at a side who have lost their past four Premier League games in a row, scoring only once in that time? #TypicalBrighton, as they say.

If the Albion are to achieve Roberto De Zerbi’s dream of European football, then they need to stop being so #TypicalBrighton between now and May. Leicester 2-2 Brighton is a good start in that regard.

That it did not end up being a #TypicalBrighton afternoon was thanks largely to Evan Ferguson. His brilliant 88th minute header levelled a game which a combination of terrible refereeing and a poor goal to concede from a set piece appeared to have taken away from the visitors.

It is becoming increasingly difficult not to get carried away about how good Ferguson is already, let alone will be if he reaches his potential.

Strong as an ox, intelligent, a clinical finisher and now we have seen that he is just as good in the air as on the ground.

Ferguson can do it all and the only thing that will stop him reaching the very top is Brighton not managing him correctly, be it through burnout or repeating the mistakes made with Aaron Connolly, who was rewarded for scoring two goals with a contract making him a millionaire before the age of 21.

De Zerbi knows that Ferguson will need to be rested and rotated for both his benefit and the Albion’s. That is why the teenager was on the bench at the King Power with Danny Welbeck taking over as the focal point of the attack.

The other headline from De Zerbi’s starting XI was Jan Paul van Hecke making his full Premier League debut alongside Lewis Dunk in the absence of the injured Levi Colwill.

De Zerbi could have opted for Adam Webster, which itself would have brought risks. Webster always takes four or five games to find form after injury; De Zerbi must have felt he did not want that happening with precious points on the line.

It will be interesting to see whether Webster is given an opportunity to get minutes under his belt against Liverpool in the FA Cup next week or if De Zerbi sticks with Van Hecke, who came in for a fair amount of criticism for his performance in Leicester 2-2 Brighton.

That seemed harsh. Webster was a calamity at times during his first season in the Premier League. Dunk at the age of 22 was behind Gordon Greer, Matthew Upson and Adam El-Abd in the Albion pecking order, necessitating a one-month loan spell at League One Bristol City which he mostly spent sat on the bench. Do not write Van Hecke off based on 90 minutes.

What the struggles of Van Hecke do show is just how good Colwill is. At 19, he looks totally at home playing Premier League football and it seems inevitable that he will go onto play for England in the not-too-distant future.

When Chelsea come calling with sensible offers for Moises Caicedo, Alexis Mac Allister, Robert Sanchez, Gully, the tea lady or the bus driver, Brighton should do everything in their power to ensure that a permanent move to the Amex for Colwill is included in any deal.

Kaoru Mitoma too will surely be on Glow Up Graham Potter’s shopping list if he maintains over the rest of the season the form he has shown since breaking into the starting XI in October.

The Japanese winger opened the scoring in Leicester 2-2 Brighton with another stunning strike. Just like at Everton a little over two weeks ago, Mitoma cut inside from his left flank having tricked and teased an opposition full back and bent a right footed effort from outside the box into the top corner.

Brighton had been very much in control before the goal but an injury to Adam Lallana immediately afterwards came as a blow. De Zerbi opted to bring Joel Veltman on at right back and push Pascal Gross into midfield.

Without Lallana’s array of one-touch passes to keep possession ticking over and his on-the-pitch leadership, the Albion lost their dominance and Leicester equalised six minutes before the break.

It was a scrappy goal to concede. Veltman blocked a Harvey Barnes shot, Dunk did likewise to a Youri Tielemans effort before Marc Albrighton struck third time lucky to punish Brighton for failing to clear their lines effectively.

The first 15 minutes of the second half were manic. Brighton should have had a penalty on 51 when Welbeck was kicked by Luke Thomas inside the box after collecting an Alexis Mac Allister flick.

Referee Thomas Bramall remarkably waved away the appeals. Even more remarkably, VAR refused to take a look. De Zerbi lost his mind on the touchline and was booked for his troubles.

Then Solly March missed a glorious chance to score on 57. More Mitoma magic down the left flank saw him glide past two Leicester challenges before pulling back to March.

After being so clinical against Liverpool a week earlier, March produced a finish more suited to the rugby played a short hop away at Welford Road by ballooning the ball over the bar.

That miss was punished on 62. Leicester seem to love a goal from a corner against Brighton, including that infamous last minute winner in the FA Cup back in 2021 when the Albion had 10 men defending against three Foxes attackers and still conspired to concede.

This time, an out swinging corner was headed on by Thomas. Van Hecke had lost Barnes at the back post and the Dutch defender was then unconvincing in attempting to recover the situation as Barnes lashed home.

De Zerbi responded by sending on Ferguson as Leicester sat increasingly deeper as the half wore on. It was a ploy that worked for the Foxes for 25 minutes until Pervis Estupinan whipped over a cross.

Ferguson ghosted onto it, putting a bullet header from 18 yards out with power and precision into the bottom corner via the post.

The away end went mad and so too did De Zerbi, sprinting down the touchline. The Brighton boss said afterwards he thought his side deserved to win and maybe they did, but some rare celebrations at the King Power felt good enough at a point which could prove very valuable come the end of the season.