The Foxes took the lead twice in the match and lost it on both occasions. The battle had to head into the penalty shoot-out where Leicester finally got the win to progress into the EFL Cup quarter-finals.
“When you get to this stage, you want to get to the quarter-finals,” said Leicester manager Brendan Rodgers. The Foxes can’t be too happy with the results of their ongoing season so far. They sit in ninth place in the English Premier League (EPL) and in third in their respective group in the Europa League. The EFL Cup might be their one chance of getting silverware, especially with the four-time winners Manchester City out of the picture.
As predicted, Leicester entered the game with a very different team compared to their last EPL bout a couple of days ago, with only Caglar Söyüncü keeping his place.
The first goal of the game came along with the first chance of the game. Brighton keeper Jason Steele carelessly passed the ball to the opponent and Harvey Barnes uncompromisingly fired it into the net from the edge of the area.
The Seagulls midfielder Alexis Mac Allister then tested Danny Ward at the other end of the pitch near the end of the first half, but the Leicester keeper managed to block the shot and Brighton got a corner. This proved crucial as Brighton found a way to score from it and make it 1-1.
The draw didn’t last long however with Leicester forward Ademola Lookman scoring only a minute later after a horrible back pass from one of the Brighton defenders. The teams moved on to the locker rooms with the score at 2-1 in favour of Leicester City.
The game took yet another turn in the 71st minute after Cucurella crossed the ball right on top of Enock Mwepu’s head, after which he neatly placed it into the top corner. This was the Zambian’s first goal for Leicester.
No other chances came about for the rest of the match and the winner had to be decided by penalties. While everyone Brendan Rodgers put on scored, Brighton striker Neal Maupay only hit the crossbar, and finally, Enock Mwepu’s penalty was saved by Danny Ward.
Leicester are onto the quarter-finals. We will have to wait and see till Saturday who their next opponent will be, but with the likes of Arsenal, Tottenham, or Liverpool on the table, you can be certain it won’t be anyone weak.
