SPORTSMOLE
Brentford and Leicester have shared the spoils at the Gtech Community Stadium this afternoon, drawing 1-1.
Harvey Barnes cancelled out Mathias Jensen’s first-half opener as both sides went home with a point apiece.
It is a result that is not exactly optimal for either side, with Brentford missing the opportunity to go sixth, as Leicester also remain embroiled in the Premier League’s relegation battle.
Leicester boss Brendan Rodgers made the big call to drop regular goalkeeper Danny Ward following last week’s defeat at home Chelsea, bringing Daniel Iversen in for a first Premier League start.
Leicester had the best of early exchanges, with Barnes firing narrowly wide of David Raya’s left-hand post on an angle.
Patson Daka also went close twice, first with a header which hit the side netting, before blazing over the crossbar just moments later after Brentford failed to clear.
Midway through the first half the tide turned in the home side’s favour, with Bryan Mbeumo going close with a curling strike that went just over the bar.
Shortly after the half hour mark they made their mounting pressure count, as Jensen opened the scoring with his fourth goal in five home games for Brentford.
A well worked corner routine saw Rico Henry loop a ball in behind for Mbeumo and after Ivan Toney failed to trap a square ball, it fell nicely for Jensen whose shot deflected off Ricardo Pereiea, leaving Iversen helpless in the Leicester goal.
The omens were in Brentford’s favour by scoring the opening goal, as they have never lost a Premier League game when doing so.
They continued to put pressure on the Leicester defence with the visitors unable to weather the storm, as Toney and Mikkel Damsgaard were both denied by some last-ditch defending.
Having held out till half time, Leicester took advantage by finding the equaliser early in the second half, as James Maddison’s precise through ball sent Barnes on his way and the wide man nonchalantly dinked the ball over the out-rushing Raya.
That justified Rodgers’s decision to bring Barnes into the starting lineup after he was dropped to the bench against Chelsea.
From that stage on though, the game slipped into a bit of a lull, with neither side threatening the opponents goal despite both getting into dangerous positions.
Maddison continued to pull the string for the Foxes, and more should have been made when he sent a threatening set piece deep into the Brentford penalty area with just over 10 minutes remaining.
