Brentford have back-to-back Premier League wins for the first time this season, leaving Leicester players sore with each other after a 4-0 affair at the King Power Stadium.
Mikkel Damsgaard assisted two goals and Bryan Mbeumo had a goal and an assist, while Yoane Wissa and Christian Norgaard also scored in the win, which boosts the Bees into 10th with 37 points.
WATCH – Leicester City v Brentford full match replay
Ruud van Nistelrooy and Leicester City are still seeking a first home Premier League win in over two months, and tension boiled over late when goalkeeper Mads Hermansen grew incensed with his defenders after Carvalho’s rebound goal made it four-nil.
Leicester have gone six-straight home games without scoring a goal, and their schedule is rough after West Ham next midweek — Chelsea, Manchester United, Man City, Newcastle, Brighton, and Liverpool.
Frazzled Foxes all but done as Bees swarm again
Leicester City boss Ruud van Nistelrooy cannot find goals in his team and they look even worse at the back, a unit looking destined for the drop even before you see a brutal run of fixtures on the horizon. Leicester can point to Wolves’ inability to pull away from the bottom three and Ipswich Town’s poor luck, but there’s just not a lot of hope in a middling bunch of Foxes. Van Nistelrooy may well lose his job but this a deeply-flawed team with three forwards over the age of 32 and a trio of exciting attackers not experienced enough on the big stages (Facundo Buonanotte, Bilal El Khannous, and even 26-year-old Stephy Mavididi). The midfield suffers from similar problems and the back line is poor. Throw in the long-term injury to Abdul Fatawu and it’s just all bad.
“We were nowhere near their levels today,” Van Nistelrooy said after the game. He wasn’t wrong.
On the other hand, Brentford is somehow still in the European race and looking as well put together as they have in sometime. Mikkel Damsgaard trails only Mohamed Salah in Premier League assists this season and the Bees are the only PL team with two double-digit goal scorers this campaign (Yoane Wissa and Bryan Mbeumo). Brentford weren’t great coming out of the gates but Mark Flekken stood tall at the back while they found their footing. Then the back line took more control and big Kristoffer Ajer as a big right back worked well. Consistency has eluded the Bees but they may just be on the right path now under one of European football’s best minds in Thomas Frank.
Leicester City vs Brentford player ratings
(from fotmob.com)
Leicester City vs Brentford player ratings (from fotmob.com)
Leicester City vs Brentford player ratings (from fotmob.com)
What’s next?
Brentford host Everton at 2:30pm ET Wednesday before Leicester go to West Ham at 3pm Thursday.
How to watch Leicester City vs Brentford live, stream link and start time
Kick off time: 3pm ET Friday
Venue: King Power Stadium — East Midlands
TV Channel: USA Network
Streaming: Watch live online via NBC.com
Leicester City vs Brentford final score: 0-4
Yoane Wissa 17', Bryan Mbeumo 27', Christian Norgaard 32', Fabio Carvalho 89'
Leicester City vs Brentford live updates — By Nick Mendola
Fabio Carvalho goal — Leicester City 0-4 Brentford (89th minute)
Hermansen denies Mbeumo in-tight, but the danger is given right back to the Bees.
Fabio Carvalho makes the most of confused play from Boubakary Soumare and Oliver Skipp, pushing it over the line.
The referee gets between an arguing Soumare and Hermansen, and things are ugly between teammates at a dour, rain-drenched King Power.
Huge Hermansen
A short corner is played back to Mbeumo, who sends a terrific cross toward the front poss.
It’s re-directed toward goal and Mads Hermansen adjusts his body to slap it away from the yawning frame.
A great stop to keep it 3-0.
Another Leicester sub
That’s it for a relatively-quiet Jordan Ayew, as Facundo Buonanotte is next for the Foxes’ bid to get on the score sheet.
Brentford lead 3-0, 55'.
Subs
Brentford make a move as Norgaard’s picked up a knock and will be replaced by Yegor Yarmoyuk.
Ruud an Nistelrooy makes two subs, bringing off Coulibaly and De Cordova-Reid for Jannik Vestergaard and Stephy Mavididi.
The second half begins at the King Power Stadium.
Halftime — Leicester City 0-3 Brentford
Shots are 6-5 to the Bees, who have had a goal ruled out for handball and hit the post with a late first-half header. This could be worse.
But it could also be much better. Leicester have more than half of the game’s possession and Flekken has two big saves to his name.
Christian Norgaard goal — Leicester City 0-3 Brentford (32nd minute)
A dangerous free kick turns into the Bees’ third goal.
Mbeumo’s free kick is aimed for the front of the line, where Christian Norgaard arrives to turn a header home.
Bryan Mbeumo goal — Leicester City 0-2 Brentford (27th minute)
Another Damsgaard assist, and now Mbeumo has joined Wissa on the score sheet.
Yoane Wissa goal — Leicester City 0-1 Brentford (17th minute)
Leicester is already ruing their close calls, as Brentford scores with their first viable chance.
It’s a clever entry pass from Mikkel Damsgaard, who has a boatload of assists this season and adds another to the list and Wissa darts behind the back line and gets the ball past Mads Hermansen.
Wissa becomes the ninth player with nine or more goals this Premier League season, while Damsgaard’s ninth assist trails only Antonee Robinson (10) and Mohamed Salah (15).
Vardy turns back the hands of time
It’s a long-busting, 60-yard dribble from Jamie Vardy, who megs Ethan Pinnock one way then cuts him back another.
Flekken’s had the entire time to read Vardy’s possible shooting angles and stands tall to stop what was a vintage Vardy drive up the pitch.
0-0, 5'.
Flekken save as Foxes start well
Woyo Coulibaly is bright out of the gates down Leicester’s right side, and Flekken is required to add to his Premier League-best saves total after just two minutes.
Leicester City lineup
Hermansen, Coulibaly, Okoli, Faes, Kristiansen, Soumare, Ndidi, El Khannous, De Cordova-Reid, Ayew, Vardy
Brentford lineup
Flekken, Ajer, Collins, Pinnock, Lewis-Potter, Norgaard, Janelt, Damsgaard, Schade, Wissa, Mbeumo
Leicester City vs Brentford preview
The Foxes have won just once in any building since a December 3 win over West Ham at the KP, and have a 1W-9L record in their last 10 games. That’s not even counting the 4-1 loss at Brentford on Nov. 30, the last game before the West Ham win.
And so the Bees seek a season sweep of the Foxes with improved away form on their side. Thomas Frank’s men have won three-straight away from the Gtech Community Stadium and are unbeaten in four PL away fixtures after a brutal start to the season as visitors.
Brentford just beat West Ham and are seeking their first consecutive wins of this Premier League season, something that could help them reach the top half of the table.
Leicester City team news, focus
OUT: James Justin (ankle), Ricardo Pereira (thigh), Abdul Fatawu (knee - out for season)
Brentford team news, focus
OUT: Aaron Hickey (thigh), Rico Henry (hamstring), Igor Thiago (knee), Josh Dasilva (knee), Gustavo Nunes (back) | QUESTIONABLE: Sepp van den Berg (knee)
Leicester City vs Brentford prediction
Jamie Vardy is still so important to Leicester and that’s a problem. Brentford find ways to beat you via different attackers, whether Bryan Mbeumo, Yoane Wissa, or Kevin Schade. Even at the KP, it’s difficult to confidently predict Leicester will out-shine another team with decent attacking options. A sweep it is — Leicester 1-2 Brentford.
