Brighton pile more pressure on Brendan Rodgers as they thrash Leicester

• Iheanacho stuns Amex Stadium with first-minute goal

• But Brighton strike back with two quick goals before running away with it

• Pressure on Brendan Rodgers as Leicester remain rooted to bottom of table

These are the darkest of times for Leicester City and their manager Brendan Rodgers. Their fifth consecutive Premier League defeat was a spirit-crushing surrender to a sizzling Brighton & Hove Albion. The last time they lost five in a row, Claudio Ranieri was sacked and Rodgers’s tenure looked less secure with each preventable goal his team conceded. They remain marooned at the bottom of the Premier League.

Afterwards, Rodgers spoke boldly, but his tone and body language were downbeat. He refused to be directly drawn on his future.

“I’ve never wanted backing from the hierarchy and never asked for it,” he sighed. “I’ve always come in early and finished late at night. Until someone tells me differently, I’ll continue to do that. I’ll never lose belief in what I do but ultimately I’m responsible for results and results haven’t been good enough. For us it’s like a jigsaw and we have pieces missing. Football can change very quickly, but there were too many mistakes today.”

In contrast, Graham Potter, the Brighton head coach, was chipperness itself: “A strong performance: I have absolutely nothing to complain about.”

For anyone not of a Leicester persuasion, this was a fabulous game, brimming with goals, lambent attacking play and calamitous defending. Brighton maintained their fourth place, but with the vultures already circling, Rodgers went for broke, relegating Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall and Jamie Vardy to the bench for a game where only victory could have leapfrogged them out of the relegation places. Kelechi Iheanacho and Patson Daka had their season’s first league starts. The pair had fine games: Leicester’s problems would lie elsewhere.

Outrageously, Rodgers’s changes struck gold after less than a minute when Youri Tielemans hustled Solly March out of possession. He found Harvey Barnes, who slotted a gorgeous ball to the overlapping Daka. The Zambian’s low cross evaded everyone until the unsupervised Iheanacho walloped his first of the season into the empty goal.

Brighton had 89 minutes to rescue the game. It took them just 14 to take the lead. First, Pascal Gross gambolled down the right, before crossing too deeply. It fell to Leandro Trossard, who dinked in a cute ball to the back post where March headed down and in off Luke Thomas.

Before Leicester could draw breath, they were behind.  A dawdling James Maddison cravenly squandered possession. Enock Mwepu, hurtled forwards and played a perfect pass to the onrushing and unchaperoned Moises Caicedo, who neatly slotted his first of the season beyond Danny Ward.

On Brighton steamrollered. Thomas’s early yellow card was a blessing to his tormentor March and illustrating how fragile Leicester’s morale was, when Wilfred Ndidi’s wretched backpass was met by an equally wretched Ward touch. Welbeck robbed the nervy goalkeeper and landed a chip onto the roof of the net. Displaying rather more fire than when defending Brighton’s goals, Ndidi and Ward almost came to blows. “I’m happy when that happens,” claimed Rodgers. “You can’t hide behind a rock and pretend it’s not happening, but we’re very much together."

Leicester looked down and out. That would come, but they levelled when Tielemans launched a long ball forwards, Lewis Dunk completely misread it and Daka ran on to carefully guide his season’s first past Robert Sanchez.

The second period seemed to have began with as bigger bang as the first when Alexis Mac Allister spectacularly fired past Ward. VAR intervened and eventually summoned referee Tony Harrington to the monitor, from where he pronounced the goal offside.

Undeterred, Brighton pressed on and they swept ahead again when Trossard collected Gross’s precision pass, outpaced the lumbering Ndidi and slotted past Ward. Five minutes later, Ndidi’s misery was complete when he crudely upended Trossard in the area. Mac Allister coolly thrashed the penalty past Ward.

As both sets of fans chanted “sacked in the morning” - “It’s a difficult moment for supporters, but I’m not sure players will improve without fans’ support,” contended Rodgers - there was only one team in the game. It wasn’t his, but there was still time for further humiliation in the seventh added minute  when Mac Allister curled a delicious free kick into Ward’s top right-hand corner. A memorable afternoon for both teams, but in very different ways.

Brighton thrash Leicester - as it happened

04:04 PM

FULL-TIME: Brighton & Hove Albion 5 Leicester City 2

Well, things go from bad to worse for Leicester - to say that's not the result they wanted, or needed, is somewhat of an understatement.

Brendon Rodgers' men are bottom of the table, without a win and it's all doom and gloom. Will we be hearing 'Rodgers out' chants? You think he's got enough credit in the bank to avoid that and it's not his fault they've not been able to spend this summer, but, to coin an old phrase, football is a funny old game.

03:59 PM

90+6: Brighton & Hove Albion 5 Leicester City 2

Alexis Mac Allister whips a glorious free-kick over the wall and into the top corner.

Danny Ward dives but he simply has no chance.

03:56 PM

GOAAAAAALLLLLLL

Brighton & Hove Albion 5 Leicester City 2

Crowing glory for Alexis Mac Allister

03:55 PM

90+4: Brighton & Hove Albion 4 Leicester City 2

Even at 4-2, with a few minutes left to play at the Amex.

Graham Potter's side are still making tackles and pressing high against Leicester.

He has created a formidable side.

03:52 PM

90+2: Brighton & Hove Albion 4 Leicester City 2

Brighton fans will get their first glimpse of new signing Billy Gilmour.

He comes into the action.

03:51 PM

90 min: Brighton & Hove Albion 4 Leicester City 2

Leicester fans are already departing the Amex, as we have at least seven minutes of added time here.

We can blame Var for that..

03:49 PM

88 min: Brighton & Hove Albion 4 Leicester City 2

What a game Solly March has had.

He is the latest player to test Danny Ward, with his curling shot.

Brighton are still searching for their fifth.

03:47 PM

85 min: Brighton & Hove Albion 4 Leicester City 2

Brighton goalkeeper Robert Sanchez hasn't had much to do in this second half but he makes a decent enough job in saving Paton Daka's shot in the box.

03:45 PM

83 min: Brighton & Hove Albion 4 Leicester City 2

Leicester substitutions have failed to make any impact in this game.

You feel Brendan Rodgers made the changes a little too late.

03:42 PM

80 min: Brighton & Hove Albion 4 Leicester City 2

The visitors are really struggling as Daniel Amartey's back pass gives Brighton a corner.

Luckily, Leicester City goalkeeper Danny Ward gets a touch on it.

03:40 PM

78 min: Brighton & Hove Albion 4 Leicester City 2

As we tick down towards the final 10 minutes, the hosts are in complete control and Leicester look stung.

03:36 PM

74 min: Brighton & Hove Albion 4 Leicester City 2

Brendan Rodgers blinks first- Jamie Vardy and Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall are on, after the two were left out of the starting XI- both enter in the pitch, as does Daniel Amartey.

03:34 PM

72 min: Brighton & Hove Albion 4 Leicester City 2

Just going back to that penalty quickly.

Goal scorer Trossard beats Leicester City's defender Wilfred Ndidi on the byline and is the shoved over as he tried to drives on.

Alexis Mac Allister was able to get another chance to add his name to this afternoon's scoresheet.

And he did...

03:31 PM

70 min: Brighton & Hove Albion 4 Leicester City 2

GOAAALLLLLLL

Alexis Mac Allister

Brighton, now have a two goal cushion.

03:30 PM

PENALTY

Disaster for Leicester

Foul on goal scorer Trossard

03:28 PM

64 min: Brighton & Hove Albion 3 Leicester City 2

The goal might not be the thrilling strike of the Mac Allister goal that Var ruled out, but it was well worked by the hosts

Now Brighton have the lead now.

03:25 PM

GOAAALLLL

Brighton & Hove Albion 3 Leicester City 2

Trossard

03:23 PM

60 min: Brighton & Hove Albion 2 Leicester City 2

Leicester City are clearly trying to get James Justin down the right-hand side but the long ball forward is just too too heavy.

Brendan Rodger's side feels that drive pass word is clearly their best option to secure a goal.

03:19 PM

Look away Brighton Fans..

03:15 PM

55 min: Brighton & Hove Albion 2 Leicester City 2

Well, that is over four minutes, we are sadly never getting back.

It took that long to sort that out.

03:13 PM

52 min: Brighton & Hove Albion 2 Leicester City 2

The goal is not going to count at the Amex

Mwepu was beyond Leicester City's defence as the initial free-kick came in. He swung his boot at it before it deflected out to Mac Allister.

A beautiful strike is chalked off the scoreboard.

03:10 PM

50 min: Brighton & Hove Albion 3 Leicester City 2

We are still waiting for a decision at the Amex Stadium

Referee Tony Harrington is going to the monitor.

Look away Brighton fans

03:08 PM

48 min: Brighton & Hove Albion 3 Leicester City 2

Here we go again...

Var is checking for a possible offside from the initial free-kick.

03:07 PM

GOAAAALLLLLLLL

Brighton & Hove Albion 3 Leicester City 2

Alexis Mac Allister

What a hit!

03:07 PM

46 min: Brighton & Hove Albion 2 Leicester City 2

We are underway again at the Amex Stadium

03:04 PM

The half in pictures

02:56 PM

HT: Brighton & Hove Albion 2 Leicester City 2

An incredible half of football from the Amex Stadium.

We've had four goals in the past 45 minutes.

Predictions for the second half?

02:52 PM

45+2: Brighton & Hove Albion 2 Leicester City 2

A chance for Brighton

Leicester City's defence cannot get the ball clear and this allows Brighton a chance at goal.

The ball finds Mwepu on the edge of the box but unfortunately the 24-year old blazes it past goal.

02:48 PM

45+1: Brighton & Hove Albion 2 Leicester City 2

And it's wide from Solly March

Trossard works the ball out wide and his cross is met by March who nods the ball past the post.

02:47 PM

45 min: Brighton & Hove Albion 2 Leicester City 2

The visitors are firming in this now.

They came forward again, with James Maddison sending his cross straight into the hands of Spanish goalkeeper

02:46 PM

43 min: Brighton & Hove Albion 2 Leicester City 2

Leicester have numbers in attack and are looking to move the ball quickly.

James Maddison passes the ball out to the right, which deflects to Harvey Barnes on the edge of the area.

His effort is deflected by the Brighton goalkeeper Sanchez

02:43 PM

40 min: Brighton & Hove Albion 2 Leicester City 2

Brighton win another corner and Danny Ward does his best to try and give them a goal.

He dives and only just gets his fingertips to punch out into the middle.

The goalkeeper is having a shocker!

All it needed was a Leicester player behind it.

02:41 PM

35 min: Brighton & Hove Albion 2 Leicester City 2

The question is can Leicester City bring this game under control until half time?

02:39 PM

33 min: Brighton & Hove Albion 2 Leicester City 2

This game is insane!

The visitors hit Brighton right down the middle. Tielemans lofts a pass that drifts over Dunk and finds Patson Daka.

Leicester City have bareley been in the game since Brighton re gained the lead.

Now we're back on level terms.

02:34 PM

GOAAALLLLLL

Brighton & Hove Albion 2 Leicester City 2

Patson Daka

02:33 PM

27 min: Brighton & Hove Albion 2 Leicester City 1

What are Leicester City's defence doing?

Goalkeeper Danny Ward makes an awkward touch to a back pass and ends up sending the ball spinning up in front of him and allows forward Danny Welbeck the chance he needs.

Welbeck nips the ball, but then it spins to his life.

Ward gathers but is then left scrambling back and lofts an effort just on to the roof of the net.

So nearly 3-1

02:31 PM

25 min: Brighton & Hove Albion 2 Leicester City 1

The game has calmed down for now as both sides regroup after a frantic opening 15 minutes.

Brendan Rodgers looks totally bemused on the sidelines.

The home fans are singing a rendition of 'sacking in the morning' to the Northern Irishman.

02:28 PM

22 min: Brighton & Hove Albion 2 Leicester City 1

Leicester are able to get some joy in possession but every pass they make invites the hosts to press effectively.

02:26 PM

17 min:  Brighton & Hove Albion 2 Leicester City 1

The visitors got off to the perfect start with that first-minute goal.

Now they're behind at one of the toughest places to come in the league.

02:21 PM

15 min: Brighton & Hove Albion 2 Leicester City 1

Leicester City are partly the architects of their own downfall here as midfielder James Maddison gives away the ball to Enock Mwepu on the half-way line, who charges forward and releases Moises Caicedo into the box.

The midfielder takes a touch and lashes a shot inside the far corner

It has taken just over 15 minutes for Brighton to turn this around.

02:16 PM

GOAAALLLL

Brighton & Hove Albion 2 Leicester City 1

Moises Caicedo

Ruthless and clinical from Brighton

The goals at the Amex keep on coming.

02:11 PM

GOAAALLLLLL

Brighton & Hove Albion 1 Leicester City 1

Luke Thomas own goal

They hosts didn't need long!

Brighton hit back as Trossard is found on the left. He picks out Solly March at the back post for a header that finds the net off the body of Luke Thomas.

Leicester's City early advantage is wiped out

02:08 PM

4 min: Brighton & Hove Albion 0 Leicester City 1

Brighton are in shock!

The hosts look to hit back straight away and Thomas is forced to dive in and foul March right on the edge of the box.

Another run forward and that was a clear penalty.

It's a Brighton free-kick and the first yellow card of the game for Luke Thomas.

02:05 PM

2 min: Brighton & Hove Albion 0 Leicester City 1

The perfect start for the visitors

Harvey Barnes is involved, setting up Patson Daka on the left to send in a low cross that evades the hosts defence, which gives Kelechi Iheanacho an open goal to tap into.

A blistering start for Brendan Rodgers' side who started the day bottom of the table

02:03 PM

GOAAAAAALLLLLLL

Brighton & Hove Albion 0 Leicester City 1

Kelechi Iheanacho

02:01 PM

Kick off!

Leicester City gets us under way.

01:59 PM

The players emerge; a reminder of the line ups

Brighton & Hove Albion: Sanchez, Webster, Dunk, Veltman, Mwepu, Mac, Allister, Caicedo, March, Trossard, Gross, Welbeck.

Subs: Steele, Lamptey, Colwill, Alzate, Gilmour, Estupinan, Undav, Mitoma, Van Hecke.

Leicester City: Ward, Thomas, Evans, Ndidi, Justin, Soumare, Barnes, Daka, Tielemans, Maddison, Iheanacho.

Subs: Iversen, Amartey, Albrighton, Castagne, Mendy, Perez, Dewsbury-Hall, Praet, Vardy.

01:52 PM

Graham Potter speaks to Sky Sports

On new signing Billy Gilmour

01:44 PM

Warm ups

01:29 PM

One change for Brighton & Hove Albion

After their 2-1 defeat to Fulham on Tuesday evening, Graham Potter makes one change to his side with Danny Welbeck replacing full-back Pervis Estupinan, whilst £9m new signing Bill Gilmour starts on the bench.

01:18 PM

No Jamie Vardy in the starting XI?

In some ways, it was to be expected. This season, he is yet to set the world alight and at 35 years of age, Leicester City do need to protect him.

So, it's a big chance for Patson Daka to cement his place in the side. Of course, he will be supported by Nigerian forward Kelechi Iheanacho.

This is his first start for the club, having played 83 minutes in the Premier League as a substitute.

01:02 PM

Leicester City team news

Ward, Thomas, Evans, Ndidi, Justin, Soumare, Barnes, Daka, Tielemans, Maddison, Iheanacho.

Subs: Iversen, Amartey, Albrighton, Castagne, Mendy, Perez, Dewsbury-Hall, Praet, Vardy.

01:02 PM

Brighton & Hove Albion team news

Sanchez, Webster, Dunk, Veltman, Mwepu, Mac, Allister, Caicedo, March, Trossard, Gross, Welbeck.

Subs: Steele, Lamptey, Colwill, Alzate, Gilmour, Estupinan, Undav, Mitoma, Van Hecke.

12:55 PM

Good afternoon

Hello and welcome to Telegraph Sport's coverage of Leicester City's visit to the Amex this afternoon.

Both teams will be looking to bounce back from mid-week defeats in this Premier League battle.

Graham Potter's side went down to 2-1 to newly promoted Fulham, while real discontent grows around the King Power, after the visitors were posted 1-0 to Manchester United.

Brighton's summer transfer activity was certainly highlighted by the outgoing of two integral cogs in Marc Curcella to Chelsea and Yvetta Bissouma to Spurs, but Graham Potter's side made a positive start to another top-flight season before a trip to Craven Cottage befell them.

Despite the departure to some of their arguably irreplaceable players, keeping much coveted Potter in the hot seat seems to be a formula for success for Brighton, who were active on deadline day with the signing of midfielder Billy Gilmour for £9m from Chelsea, who could make his debut for the club today.

Compared to their free-spending opponents, Leicester City distinctly quiet summer window, sticks out like a sore thumb and the frustrations of Brendan Rodgers were plain to see when a first-half winner from Jadon Sancho did the damage at the King Power on Thursday evening.

Keeping in line with Financial Fair Play regulations is apparently the main factor behind Leicester City's conservative approach to summer spending. However, failure to add to their squad has left Brendan Rodgers' side rooted bottom of the table; their worst league start since 1994.

Their woeful start to the season continues and Rodgers appears to take a swipe out on the owners for a lack of investment in this window, as Wout Faes is one of just two arrivals this summer.

However, Leicester City can be encouraged by the fact that Brighton have only won one of their 10 Premier League meetings since earing promotion in 2017, although that did come in a 2-1 success at the Amex last season.

Join us at 1pm for the team news, live updates-throughout and post-match analysis.