Season Review: March Ends With Last-Gasp Brighton Success

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Season Review: March Ends With Last-Gasp Brighton Success

Leicester City's Emirates FA Cup run came to an end in March, but their Premier League form reaped seven points from three games.

2018-05-30T13:51:00.000Z

Season Review: March Ends With Last-Gasp Brighton Success

Leicester City's Emirates FA Cup run came to an end in March, but their Premier League form reaped seven points from three games.

2018-05-30T13:51:00.000Z

Season Review: March Ends With Last-Gasp Brighton Success

Leicester City's Emirates FA Cup run came to an end in March, but their Premier League form reaped seven points from three games.

2018-05-30T13:51:00.000Z

Season Review: March Ends With Last-Gasp Brighton Success

Leicester City's Emirates FA Cup run came to an end in March, but their Premier League form reaped seven points from three games.

2018-05-30T13:51:00.000Z

Season Review: March Ends With Last-Gasp Brighton Success

Leicester City's Emirates FA Cup run came to an end in March, but their Premier League form reaped seven points from three games.

2018-05-30T13:51:00.000Z

This is how the month of March unfolded for the Foxes in 2017/18...

City 1 AFC Bournemouth 1King Power StadiumPremier LeagueSaturday 3 MarchMahrez 90+7' / King 35' (pen)

An exceptional 97th-minute free kick from Riyad Mahrez earned Leicester City a deserved 1-1 Premier League draw with AFC Bournemouth at King Power Stadium.

Claude Puel made three changes to the side that drew with Stoke City last time out, but the Frenchman was forced into an early substitution after Daniel Amartey picked up an injury with 20 minutes on the clock.

That meant Puel had to change his formation, too, and despite a bright opening period in which Mahrez was denied by Asmir Begović, the Cherries had goalscoring opportunities of their own.

In the space of just two minutes, Junior Stanislas flicked an effort off target, before Josh King saw Kasper Schmeichel hold onto a tame effort from inside the area.

However, when Marc Albrighton – operating at right wing back – brought down King in the area shortly after, the Bournemouth frontman took his chance, sending Schmeichel the wrong way from the spot.

City responded well after the interval and on the hour mark, only an excellent block from Steve Cook prevented substitute Ben Chilwell from finding the top corner.

The Foxes continued to open up their opponents, with skipper Wes Morgan heading wide, before Kelechi Iheanacho somehow flicked Harry Maguire’s low drive off target from just a few yards out.

Mahrez then had a powerful strike blocked deep inside the area by Dan Gosling as Eddie Howe’s men stood strong on Filbert Way. But they could do nothing about City’s final effort on goal.

Mahrez curled a beauty of a free kick round Bournemouth’s wall and into the corner from 25 yards with just seconds left to play.

West Bromwich Albion 1 City 4The HawthornsPremier LeagueSaturday 10 MarchRondon 8' / Vardy 21', Mahrez 62', Iheanacho 76', Iborra 90+3'

Leicester City continued their excellent form at the Hawthorns by recording a convincing 4-1 Premier League win over West Bromwich Albion.

Following the 1-1 draw with AFC Bournemouth, Claude Puel made five changes to his side, as Danny Simpson, Ben Chilwell, Vicente Iborra, Demarai Gray and Shinji Okazaki all returned to the starting XI.

The Foxes were dealt an early blow as Salomon Rondon converted Oliver Burke’s cross to give the hosts a 1-0 lead after just eight minutes.

But Jamie Vardy made it four goals in his last four appearances at the Hawthorns shortly after.

Riyad Mahrez sent a brilliant pass into the path of City’s No.9, who smashed a first-time volley past Ben Foster to equalise.

After the break, Leicester were ruthless and the introduction of Kelechi Iheanacho had a huge bearing on the result.

Replacing Okazaki on the hour mark, the Nigeria international’s first involvement was to scoop the ball into the path of Mahrez, who poked past Foster to put City 2-1 up.

West Brom stopper Foster made a fine save to deny Vardy from a one-on-one situation just moments later, but he could do nothing about Iheanacho’s header on 76 minutes.

Chilwell delivered from the left and the former Manchester City man was there to score his first Premier League goal for the Foxes.

After moving into a comfortable 3-1 lead with 14 minutes to play, Iborra added a fourth goal in injury time to round off a superb day for Puel’s men.

City 1 Chelsea 2 (AET)King Power StadiumPremier LeagueSunday 18 MarchEmirates FA Cup Quarter-FinalVardy 76' / Morata 42', Pedro 105'

Leicester City's Emirates FA Cup campaign came to an end following a 2-1 extra-time loss to Chelsea at King Power Stadium.

Marc Albrighton and Kelechi Iheanacho were handed starts by Claude Puel, as the City boss made two changes to the side that beat West Bromwich Albion last weekend.

It was Albrighton who had the first opportunity of the game, too, as he hooked a Danny Simpson cross wide, before skipper Wes Morgan had a header blocked by Antonio Rüdiger just moments later.

Wilfred Ndidi then had a long-range drive parried to safety by Willy Caballero, but despite a number of early chances falling the Foxes’ way, Chelsea took the lead three minutes before the interval.

After Riyad Mahrez was dispossessed on the edge of the Blues box, Willian raced forward on the counter attack and slipped in Álvaro Morata, who took a touch before side-footing into the bottom corner.

The Foxes went in search of a leveller in the second half as Mahrez attempted to catch Caballero off his line, but fired into the stands, before Jamie Vardy headed over an Ndidi pass shortly after.

Eventually, City deservedly drew level. Vicente Iborra had two shots blocked in the box, but Vardy – netting his seventh goal in his last nine appearances – was on hand to scramble the ball home.

Urged on by the Blue Army, substitute Shinji Okazaki came just inches away from poking home, before Vardy forced Caballero into a low stop six minutes before the full-time whistle.

With just three minutes to play, Kasper Schmeichel made two huge stops to force the tie to extra-time, denying Morata twice from close range.

Goalscoring chances in extra-time were few and far between but when former Fox N’Golo Kanté sent a cross into the area, substitute Pedro was there to head beyond Schmeichel.

Puel made several substitutions in extra-time and it was Adrien Silva who came the closest to finding a leveller, but after a neat pass from Mahrez, the Portugal midfielder’s effort was blocked inside the box.

Despite all of their efforts, City couldn’t find a second equaliser against the Blues, who emerged as 2-1 winners to set up a semi-final tie with Southampton at Wembley Stadium.

Brighton & Hove Albion 0 City 2Amex StadiumPremier LeagueSaturday 31 MarchIborra 83', Vardy 90+6'

Vicente Iborra and Jamie Vardy found the net and Kasper Schmeichel saved a penalty as 10-man Leicester City secured a 2-0 victory at Brighton & Hove Albion.

Following a largely uneventful first half, the clash burst into life with 14 minutes remaining as Schmeichel made an outstanding stop to deny Glenn Murray from 12 yards.

Seven minutes later, the reinvigorated Foxes were ahead as Iborra nodded Ben Chilwell’s cross beyond Mathew Ryan in the Seagulls net before Wilfred Ndidi picked up a second booking.

Despite being a man down, City were stoic to defy Chris Hughton’s hosts in Sussex, breaking free again in added time, as substitute Demarai Gray galloped forwards to locate Vardy in the box.

Puel made one change to the line-up which suffered a 2-1 extra-time defeat by Chelsea in the Emirates FA Cup before the international break, with Shinji Okazaki replacing Kelechi Iheanacho.

It was the Seagulls who threatened most in the early stages with Ezequiel Schelotto, José Izquierdo and Jürgen Locadia all causing City problems in the final third.

Brighton's biggest chance came in the 36th minute as the ball fell to the feet of Murray, in behind the Foxes backline, but the 34-year-old striker blazed it wide of Schmeichel’s net.

It was a nervous moment for Puel’s visitors and, for large periods, they had to soak up extensive pressure and wait for the right moment to break forwards in numbers.

Malian youngster Fousseni Diabaté’s introduction in the 56th minute, replacing Okazaki, injected pace into Leicester’s play and they began to find more space in attacking positions.

Brighton were handed a guilt-edged opportunity to open the scoring in the 76th minute when Ndidi, already on a booking, was adjudged to have have felled Izquierdo in the 18-yard box.

While Ndidi escaped that scare, Schmeichel exhibited his superb penalty-saving powers once again to parry Murray’s spot-kick, aimed for his bottom left corner.

Leicester settled and, with seven minutes to play, Chilwell found Iborra in space, allowing the Spaniard to register his third goal for the Club with a smart close-range header.

The landscape became worrisome in the 87th minute when Ndidi was dealt a second yellow, for a challenge on Shane Duffy, but Vardy’s 96th minute strike, his 18th this season, made sure of a big result.

March in numbers:

LCFC goals: 8Top scorer: Vardy (3)League standing: 8th

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