Brighton & Hove Albion 0-2 Leicester City: Seagulls' winning run ended by high-flying Foxes

The Foxes bossed the first half, controlling possession and firing ten shots at goal, but the game remained goalless at the break.

The second half saw the Seagulls start brightly before a breakneck counter attack just after the hour saw Ayoze Perez sweep home.

Leicester doubled their advantage with ten minutes to go in controversial circumstances. Birthday boy James Maddison headed home from Jamie Vardy's saved penalty but VAR ruled the England midfield had encroached in the area.

The penalty was re-taken and Vardy made no mistake second time round as the Foxes recorded their fifth league win in a row.

The Seagulls remain 12th while Leicester stay second, eight points behind leaders Liverpool.

Head coach Graham Potter made three changes from Albion's 3-1 defeat at Manchester United on Sunday, November 10.

Defender Adam Webster, and midfielders Solly March and Aaron Mooy came in for the suspended Lewis Dunk and injured pair Steven Alzate and Aaron Connolly.

Leicester named the same starting XI that beat Arsenal 2-0 at home a fortnight ago.

It took just a minute and a half for the Foxes to get amongst the Seagulls. March let Harvey Barnes' spinning cross bounce across goal.

The ball fell to Perez but his header could only clatter the post.

Leicester had Brighton pinned back during the opening ten minutes. Maty Ryan superbly palmed Vardy's close-range header from a free-kick over before Mooy hacked the ball off the line with Perez lurking.

The Foxes' occupation of Albion's half continued. Leicester's controlled yet rapid one-touch football had Brighton chasing shadows at times.

Another slick Leicester move saw Perez turn Dan Burn before finding Barnes on the edge of the D. The 21-year-old unleashed a low first-time effort but Ryan made a great fingertip save down to his left to turn the ball behind for a corner.

For all the pretty football the Foxes were playing, they uncharacteristically lacked a cutting edge in front of goal.

And, against the run of play, Brighton almost had the all-important breakthrough. Shane Duffy was left completely unmarked in the box from a corner but his header sailed over.

It had taken Albion 42 minutes to have their first effort on goal. By comparison, such was Leicester's dominance, the visitors had wracked up nine, with two on target.

Shot number ten should have seen Leicester 1-0 up at half-time. A perfectly weighted through ball from Maddison found Vardy.

With Ryan rushing off his line, the wily forward dinked the ball over the Australian but wide of the goal.

Albion began the second half with more vim and vigour. The Seagulls kept Leicester on the back foot and Neal Maupay flashed an angled shot over before Martin Montoya hit an effort over.

But Leicester, once again, spurned a golden opportunity to put themselves in front. Vardy raced away from his markers but was well crowded out by the Seagulls backline.

The ex-England forward showed superb vision to find Perez in the area but the Spaniard dithered and was easily dispossessed.

The Foxes had huffed and puffed for over an hour and, at long last, got a thoroughly deserved goal on 62 minutes.

A textbook counter attack saw Youri Tielemans send Vardy tearing away just past the halfway line. The striker hit the gas, breaking into the Albion box, before squaring to Perez who applied the finish.

The visitors could have doubled their advantage just a minute later as Ryan made an excellent save from Vardy at point blank range.

And then, as has so often been the case this season, VAR reared its ugly head. Sloppy play at the back from Albion gifted substitute Demarai Gray the ball.

Gray was fouled by Webster in the area and, after a long VAR consultation, the spot kick was given.

Vardy stepped up but his penalty was marvellously saved down to the left by Ryan. Unfortunately for Albion, Ryan's save looped up for Maddison to head home with aplomb.

But Leicester's celebrations were cut short as VAR showed that Maddison had encroached into the area as the spot-kick was taken.

So the penalty was retaken and this time Vardy made no mistake in slotting the ball home.

Brighton & Hove Albion: Ryan, Duffy, Webster, Burn, Montoya (Schelotto 77), Propper, Stephens (Bissouma 77), March (Murray 83), Mooy, Maupay, Trossard. Unused: Button, Balogun, Gross, Janabakhsh.

Leicester City: Schmeichel, Ricardo, Evans (Morgan 62), Soyuncu, Chilwell, Ndidi, Tielemans, Maddison, Perez (Praet 70), Barnes (Gray 78), Vardy. Unused: Ward, Justin, Albrigthon, Iheanacho.

Referee: Mike Dean

Attendance: 30,640