Brighton 1-2 Leicester: The importance of two No.8s for the Foxes

As the first-half closed, Leicester City seemed destined to lose their third game in a row in all competitions – this time at the hands of Brighton & Hove Albion, but an inspired second-half, with tactical alterations, pushed the Foxes into a 1-2 comeback.

Brendan Rodgers opted for the same system that rewarded Leicester City with a point at Turf Moor, the 3-5-2. The key components of the formation being; two strikers, two attacking wing-backs, and three central defenders in transition. It’s undisputed that the Foxes are fielding this structure due to injuries, but Rodgers’ shift to a 4-3-3 formation at the start of the second-half resulted in a much better display. Why?

Firstly, I wouldn’t suggest the first-half performance was entirely a structure problem. In my opinion, the 3-5-2 formation relied heavily on the involvements of both No.8s – Youri Tielemans and starting debutant Sidnei Tavares, in both sides of the game. In attack, their positional play would aid the progressive nature of Leicester City – by playing high and wide (close proximity to the advancing wing-backs) or in a vertical diagonal to the two forwards – Jamie Vardy and Kelechi Iheanacho.

In defence, they were tasked with tracking the advancing runners from Graham Potter’s unorthodox 4-4-2 system. Brighton & Hove Albion play fluid football, look to combine with quick passes (often first-time) – with players making advancing runs from all over the pitch. This bombardment of movement felt like a stark contrast to that of the Foxes’ first-half, where the predominant passing sequences remained with the centre-backs after little options were forming further forwards.