Brighton 5-2 Leicester was a day that will live in infamy

As Franklin D Roosevelt said back in 1941, A Day That Will Live in Infamy. To see the Albion play to such a level and score five goals in a top flight game for the first time ever was a real privilege.

The day started with another smooth ride from Seagulls Travel on the Lindfield coach. We arrived at the Amex with 50 minutes to spare before kick off, thanks to some great driving by the coach driver.

There was just one holdup in the depths of Mid Sussex – caused by a somebody riding a rickshaw of all things. A rickshaw cycling around the back roads of Sussex is not particularly safe, especially with no overtaking opportunities and a lack of Highway Code rules for bicycles in general, let alone rickshaws.

We eventually made it past the rickshaw. Our only other unusual encounter following that was some parrots. I had never seen parrots on this route before in Mid Sussex, just like how I had never seen Brighton score five times in a Premier League game. Quite an eye opener, really.

Leicester arrived at the Amex having had a troubled start to the 2022-23 season. They sat bottom of the table, with one draw and four defeats from five matches.

The Leicester owners wrote to fans via their matchday programme earlier in the week, saying funds were not available to spend on improving their squad.

This situation was commented on by Brendan Rodgers following the Foxes’ midweek defeat to Manchester United.

Rodgers is well-respected coach who has taken Leicester to great things, similar to the job our own Graham Potter is doing.

Leicester made the perfect start to what ended up being 100 minutes of entertaining play. If you were still in the loo, buying Albion sweets or finishing a pint and not in your seat for kick off, then you would have missed the Foxes take the lead in 53 seconds.

Even those who were in position would have missed it if they blinked. “Oh my God” I thought. This afternoon might be tougher than the league table suggested.

Had all the photo shoots involving the players right before kick off distracted them too much from the task ahead?

Both Leicester goals came from uncharacteristic mistakes from the Albion. For the lads to battle back and find a way to win in convincing fashion even after the errors was a result of them playing their hearts out, running for every ball and not letting anything beat them.

Youri Tielemans crowded out Solly March, winning the ball to feed Harvey Barnes. He passed to Patson Daka who squared across goal from the west side of the pitch to the east where Kelechi Iheanacho was lurking to make it 1-0.

Brighton were not deterred. A few minutes later and a Pascal Gross cross from the right was returned into the box by Leandro Trossard on the left.

It found March, who headed into the Leicester goal. Or did he? It turned out that the ball had caught Luke Thomas on its way in, and so it was credited as an own goal. The stadium erupted and suddenly things felt right in the world again with Brighton on level terms.

March ended up winning the sponsor’s man-of-the-match award. I felt it could have gone to anyone. A team award would have been more fitting by full time; as March said in his post-match interview, this is the best squad he has ever played with in 10 years at the Albion.

It did not take long after March (or Thomas) equalised until Brighton took the lead. Enock Mwepu swept through the middle of the park, heading straight for the Leicester goal.

He was flanked either side by Danny Welbeck on the left and Moises Caicedo on the right. Mwepu opted to go right to Caicedo, who hit a right footed shot across Danny Ward and inside the far post.

The clock was showing just 15 minutes played and already we had seen three goals. In the 33rd minute, we had a fourth as Leicester made it 2-2.

Tielemans played a lobbed ball over the top to find Daka in the middle. Lewis Dunk and Joel Veltman were caught either side of Daka with neither able to prevent him controlling the ball and beating Sanchez right footed.

However disappointing it was to concede again, we were at least treated to a display of gymnastics from Daka in celebration which was Olympic standard.

The Foxes clearly had a lot of fight to go with the backflips and cartwheels of Daka. It was obvious that Brighton would need to dig deep in the second half to take all three points.

Dig deep and produce some quality. Alexis Mac Allister duly provided the latter by scoring one of the goals of the season.

A Gross free kick was cleared back to the edge of the penalty area. Mac Allister hit a powerful volley from 30 yards that flew into the back of the net.

Wild celebrations took place all around the Amex at this fantastic piece of skill and wonderful finish. That was until somebody at Stockley Park woke up and decided to take a look at a replay.

Four minutes later and VAR told referee Tony Harrington to go and look at the pitch side monitor. Mwepu had been a millimetre offside when Gross took the original free kick and so the goal was ruled out.

Brighton kept going and they soon had a legal third. Mac Allister started the move, getting the ball to Gross on a right angle to the box.

Gross carved a pass through the Leicester defence to Trossard, who turned inside and hit a left footed shot which slid in at the far post. The Albion led 3-2.

The Amex crowd suddenly became greedy. We wanted more goals. We felt like Brighton could score more, at the same time as wondering whether Leicester would to launch another comeback.

Trossard felt the mood and soon earned the Albion a penalty. He ran along the goal line, keeping the ball in play and drawing a foul from Wilfred Ndidi.

Once again, we had a lengthy wait for VAR to check out what had happened. Eventually, Mac Allister was allowed to take the penalty and he hammered it down the middle with Ward diving right.

Mac Allister normally goes for the right hand corner, so Ward had clearly done his homework. Mac Allister was clever enough to change things up and Brighton were 4-2 ahead as a result.

All those VAR delays meant we had seven minutes of stoppage time. Tariq Lamptey, Pervis Estupinan, Deniz Undav and new signing from Chelsea Billy Gilmour were all on hoping to help the Albion find a fifth.

Brighton eventually secured that history making goal in the final seconds with a world class free kick into the top corner by, yes, Mac Allister. He was not to be denied something spectacular.

Potter and the players deserve our thanks. They are providing incredible memories and fantastic days out for us supporters. I hope that they are enjoying it all as much as we are. Up the Albion!

Thank you to everyone who was purchased my book covering the 2021-22 season, The Seagulls Best Ever Season. It can be found on Amazon at this link.

Tony Noble @Noble1844Tony