Leicester City 2 Brighton 0: Premier League new boys brushed aside as Craig Shakespeare's side get off the mark
What the future holds for Riyad Mahrez seems to depend on how stubborn Leicester want to be in sticking to their line that only £50 million will tempt them to part with one of their prized assets, even if he has made it clear he wants to leave.
They might say that here was the evidence why, as the Algerian turned in the kind of performance he delivered frequently during their title-winning year to set up a comfortable victory.
Others of a more cynical viewpoint might doubt whether the goalscoring winger will be quite as keen a month or so down the line if his desire to play on bigger stages is not realised, but on this occasion there could be no complaints about commitment.
Leicester 1 - 0 Brighton (Shinji Okazaki, 1 min)
It was after his shot was spilt by Brighton goalkeeper Mat Ryan that Shinji Okinaka stabbed home the loose ball to give Leicester the lead after just 52 seconds, and from his corner nine minutes into the second half that newly recruited centre-back Harry Maguire headed home to establish control. He might have added a goal of his own, too, in the second half, had Lewis Dunk not blocked a strong shot from the edge of the box that would have required Ryan to save.
Leicester manager Craig Shakespeare would clearly rather not have a player whose thoughts are on leaving, but he has only compliments for Mahrez at this stage, with no suggestion of any parallels with Philippe Countinho at Liverpool or Virgil van Dijk at Southampton, both of whom have been taken out of the picture while their futures are decided, with what some might say are convenient minor injuries.
“Riyad made the statement that he made at the beginning of the season and everyone knows we have had a bid that wasn’t accepted,” Shakespeare said. “But I have spoken to him since and told him while he’s here he needs to be professional, to respect his team-mates and Leicester City Football Club and, credit to him, he has done that in his performance today. And while he remains that focused we know his ability, and while he remains in that frame of mind he will always be considered for selection.”
Maguire, apart from his goal, looked composed and calm alongside Wes Morgan at the back and Brighton rarely threatened, with Kasper Schmeichel tested only once, deep in the second half, by a shot from substitute Tomer Hemed.
Leicester vs Brighton
Brighton manager Chris Hughton, whose club record signing Jose Izquierdo was not fit enough to take his place in the squad, said: “The last thing you want here is to go a goal down early in the game and at two-nil, it becomes very, very difficult to get a result.
“They didn’t open us up as much as they could but we did not offer enough of a threat ourselves.”
