Leicester City Player Ratings vs Brentford: Schmeichel, Soyuncu get 8; Goalscorers Maddison, Castagne rated 7

Leicester City overcame the Brentford challenge on Sunday, thanks to goals from James Maddison and Timothy Castagne.

After an entertaining clash with end to end action, Leicester City ultimately won the contest that may have gone in any direction. Much of the attention would hang on the quality of the Foxes’ goals; Kasper Schmeichel deserves loud cheers for his part in the win.

The Danish goalkeeper made at least a couple of point-blank saves to deny Pontus Jansson and Bryan Mbeumo in the second half, which helped keep the scoreline in Leicester’s favour. Both sides had more than a fair share of chances during the clash, and the quality of all three goals scored in the game stands above anything else.

Timothy Castagne started this trend after opening the scoring in a blistering manner from outside. Even he could not believe the ball went where it was intended, as David Raya had no chance of stopping that screamer. James Maddison then doubled the lead with a delicious free-kick leaving the ‘keeper stretched and helpless.

In the second half, Brentford came out of their stride and continued to attack the Leicester defence, who had their nervy moments at the back. Much to the presence of Schmeichel, the visitors were kept at bay, as he made some very good saves in the period.

However, the Dane could not stop Yoane Wissa’s screamer from outside the box, as Brentford set themselves up for a late chance to level the game. Without much of a problem, Leicester were able to see the match out and collect three points to keep their hopes of finishing in the top half alive. Here are the Leicester City player ratings from their entertaining win over Brentford at the King Power.

Kasper Schmeichel: 8/10

Schmeichel made a nervy start to the game, needlessly giving away possession in dangerous areas. He then composed himself and put in a terrific performance to help his team win. The keeper made two sensational saves to deny Pontus Jansson and Bryan Mbeumo from close range, which should be the highlight of the game rather than the goals scored.

Kasper Schmeichel hoping to emulate father Peter and lead Denmark to European glory (Photo by Clive Brunskill/Getty Images)
A monstrous performance from Schmeichel. (Photo by Clive Brunskill/Getty Images)

James Justin: 5.5/10

Justin assumed a rather advanced role in the game’s early stages, which had its benefits, although it opened up plenty of space for the Brentford attackers to attack from his flank. While he looked dangerous at times in the attack, there was no end product to match his presence in the final third.

Daniel Amartey: 7/10

Amartey dealt with the physical presence of Toney and Mbeumo for most parts and put in a composed performance at the heart of the defence. The centre-back gave the ball away leading up to Wissa’s late strike, which shadowed an otherwise impressive and solid display.

Caglar Soyuncu: 8/10

Soyuncu is finding his stride once more, as he proved his worth in the Leicester backline with a battling performance. Dealing with Brentford’s physical forwards is very difficult, and with the opposition setting up a late charge, he was always in the right place to deal with things.

Timothy Castagne: 7/10

There were still rusty ends to polish to call it an accomplished performance, but Castagne delivered with a crucial goal, and what a strike it was. The Belgian certainly gave his side a different dimension from the left flank as he made many forward runs and proved a threat throughout.

Nampalys Mendy: 6.5/10

Mendy made his second Premier League start in a row and excelled this time around. The midfielder always dropped to be the passing option for his centre-backs, then distributed the ball to the right areas of the pitch. While he is still not capable of completing 90 minutes, these are encouraging signs.

James Maddison: 7/10

Maddison played through a right midfield position, although he often drifted into free spaces, and acted as the chief creator in the side. He had his moments, thanks to his versatility and craft in the final third. He got a great goal from a free-kick to double Leicester’s advantage, which eventually proved the match-winner.

Youri Tielemans: 5.5/10

It was not his best game by any margins, but Tielemans proved himself a handy outlet whenever necessary. Despite his hard work in the middle, the slight change to his role is why others outperformed him.

Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall: 7/10

Dewsbury-Hall continued with more important performances, as he slotted in an attacking zone in the middle that seemed to suit his game more. The end product may have been missing, but the Leicester midfielder got himself into good positions and always proved to be a threat for Brentford defenders.

Harvey Barnes: 5/10

This performance did not reflect positively on his recent form, as the wide attacker struggled for relevance against Brentford. Even when others created chances for Barnes, his touch let him down, and it is safe to say he missed a fantastic opportunity to score himself, albeit a somewhat difficult one.

Kelechi Iheanacho: 5/10

That one chance he had to score and put the game beyond Brentford’s reach, Iheanacho decided to chip it stylistically rather than apply simple finishing touches. Otherwise, the Nigerian was a good outlet to bring others into play, and for that alone, he should get a decent rating.

SUBSTITUTES

Jonny Evans: 6/10

Rodgers wanted to bring in more defensive solidarity and looked no further than Evans, who put in a mighty shift, especially at the end when Brentford put Leicester under pressure. He kept tight to Toney and ensured the Foxes saw the game out to collect maximum points.

Boubakary Soumare: 4/10

Soumare replaced Dewsbury-Hall to bring more steel in midfield and ran around aimlessly. Soumare’s performances have seen a massive dip in recent months, and Rodgers will want to see improvement soon enough.

Patson Daka: N/A

Did not play enough to warrant a rating.

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