Kelechi Iheanacho takes advantage of slow Brentford start as Leicester reach FA Cup fifth round
FULL TIME
Leicester hang on and win by a single goal. If Brentford had turned up before the 20th minute, there is every chance they could have taken something out of this but, and whisper it, nobody at the club will really mind not having to deal with the extra fixtures.
The Premier League is the promised land and depleted energy from FA Cup replays and the effort required to beat the bigger clubs could have derailed their promotion hopes.
90 mins +2 - Brentford 0 Leicester 1
Three minutes of added time, Leicester working hard off the ball to keep Brentford back but they're being roared on by the home crowd. A tired touch gives Leicester back possession, they take their time over the throw-in. Brentford's defensive line are pushed high to squeeze the pitch and Deesbury-Hall overplays, losing the ball in his own half.
90 mins - Brentford 0 Leicester 1
Maddison, on for Gray, is involved deep in midfield and links passes to take Leicester up the pitch but Albrighton scuffs his cross straight out for a goal kick. Leicester players urging each other to calm down and control the match.
87 mins - Brentford 0 Leicester 1
Brentford corner. It's low into the area... and lifted over the bar from the penalty spot. They're getting closer. Only five minutes left...
GOOOOAAAAAA - offside
The second corner is lifted back in to the box, volleyed past the goalkeeper and instantly ruled out - correctly - for offside.
84 mins - Brentford 0 Leicester 1
Controversial scenes here as Fuchs lets a ball go behind, appearing to head it but pulling out last second and the referee overrules the lineswoman! Bad decision. Inevitably, Brentford put in a dangerous cross and a volley is almost turned in from close range. But for a save by Ward that was in!
82 mins - Brentford 0 Leicester 1
Another Brentford sub. Valencia off, Mbeumo on. A last 10 minute push fr the home side.
79 mins - Brentford 0 Leicester 1
Great ball from Henry, who is on as a sub, to put Brentford on the attack with one long pass from the back but Dervisoglu is juuuust offside.
76 mins - Brentford 0 Leicester 1
All match photography should be done from this sort of angle. I don't care about close ups, they just don't do it for me. This though. This is like I'm there.
75 mins - Brentford 0 Leicester 1
Brentford are smart with the ball, opting not to just hook it in the box with a cross from wide, patiently probing for a decent opportunity to use it. Eventually Leicester turnover possession and move up the other end, Justin muscles his way past Thompson and tries to curl a shot into the far corner, winning a corner.
72 mins - Brentford 0 Leicester 1
Leicester put a nice passing move together in the final third but overplay a little and it breaks down as Choudhury passes to the wrong colour shirt.
69 mins - Brentford 0 Leicester 1
Kiernan Deesbury-Hall is on for Iheanacho to make his Leicester debut. A 21 year old midfielder (or so Google tells me) which means Perez moves to centre forward.
66 mins - Brentford 0 Leicester 1
Leicester could do with calming this down a bit and gaining some control of the match. Brentford still don't look like they're going to score unless there's a mistake at some point but they're right in the game.
63 mins - Brentford 0 Leicester 1
Oooooohhhhhhh the pitch has opened up after a bad pass backwards by Yearwood. Albrighton spots it, slides in to make sure he wins the ball but then holds down the Brentford defender before Iheanacho can run away with it!
Brentford pass their way forward, Marcondes curls a low ball into the area, it misses everyone and it's going int! OFF THE POST! Fuchs scrambles it away!
60 mins - Brentford 0 Leicester 1
Marcondes is fouled again in the final third, and that seems to be because Brentford are pushing higher up the pitch and protecting the ball. The kick is hooked in, headed in the air, Ward is fouled and the move ends.
57 mins - Brentford 0 Leicester 1
The free-kick is awful and easily read from the first pass.
56 mins - Brentford 0 Leicester 1
Brentford win a free-kick in the final third as Gray trips Marcondes, who wears his first name on the back of his shirt, perhaps deliberately to confuse live bloggers.
53 mins - Brentford 0 Leicester 1
A switched pass finds Valencia on the left in space, he controls well and sets up the shot, lashing at it and bending the ball way wide of the far post. Nowhere near. In fact, it's gone out for a throw.
Jermaine Jenas has just said Wes Morgan was in his youth team at Forrest. To think they're roughly the same age is mental.
50 mins - Brentford 0 Leicester 1
Brentford have started the second half well, winning a corner early on. Marcondes out-swings it over everybody, Choudhury chases back to defend and puts it out for a throw. Daniels in the Brentford goal can pass a ball.
Leicester spring a counter from halfway, have men over and Justin overlaps on the right! A low ball drilled across the box is smothered by Daniels.
47 mins - Brentford 0 Leicester 1
Leicester a little late in joining Brentford on the pitch for the start of the second half and I wonder whether that's because Rodgers had some tactical instructions to get across. Brentford have made a change already, Mokotjo replaced by Dasilva.
KICK OFF 2
We're back!
What needs to change?
Brentford started that match horribly but may have been a little overwhelmed by the occasion and didn't expect such a hard, high press from Leicester. They grew into it and created chances, but did gift some opportunities to Leicester and the second half needs to be tighter, sharper and simply better. Brentford have it in them, but I suspect Leicester - if they keep up the tempo and don't switch off - should see this out relatively comfortably.
HALF TIME
Brentford have another shot before the whistle but a swinging, dipping shot lands on the roof of the net. That's it for the first half.
45 mins - Brentford 0 Leicester 1
Perez could be in here! Iheanacho runs through the midfield in space - bad defending by Brentford - and Perez runs ahead of the last man, gets onto the through pass and tries to shoot across the goalkeeper. Blocked.
43 mins - Brentford 0 Leicester 1
Gray is frustratingly close to being a fantastic top level player but his final ball, or shot, or whatever he does last often is just slightly too long, short or wide. He controls the ball, takes it towards the box, plays a clever one-two while changing direction but then threads the killer pass too far ahead of its intended recipient and the chance is gone.
40 mins - Brentford 0 Leicester 1
Praet skies a shot from wide in the box as three Leicester players make the same run to the near post. Need to be a little smarter there.
Thompson has the ball in the final third, space opens up for a shot and he takes it... dragging the ball just wide of the far post. He's won a corner though apparently.
That is curled in, lands awkwardly in the box and Iheanacho messes about with it before posing possession! Brentford could take advantage... but there's an offside.
37 mins - Brentford 0 Leicester 1
Really like seeing Premier League teams play at old, small grounds.
34 mins - Brentford 0 Leicester 1
Ole!!!! A back heel by Thompson gets a cheer from the crowd as he completely dinghies a chasing Leicester player and helps his side keep the ball.
A teammate makes a mistake soon after and Albrighton bursts away into space, cuts across the pitch and boots a powerful drive wide of the bottom corner.
31 mins - Brentford 0 Leicester 1
Brentford sticking to their build-up play style and despite giving the crowd the fear, it's actually working quite well and forcing Leicester to retreat and run more tan they might want.
28 mins - Brentford 0 Leicester 1
I really like this Dru Yearwood boy in Brentford's midfield. A little bit loose with some of the things he does but he looks really dynamic, sees a pass, likes to spread the play and is very quick. Didn't realise he was only 19 either.
25 mins - Brentford 0 Leicester 1
Fuchs takes a throw-in and shouts at his teammates for failing to give him a single decent option. Leicester have slowed down a bit since that lively opening.
23 mins - Brentford 0 Leicester 1
Zamburek's controller runs out of battery and play continues without him as he switches off and lets Choudhury steal the ball. He blames nobody talking to him but you'd think he'd be aware/realise you don't get half a minute to jog to the ball against a Premier League team.
21 mins - Brentford 0 Leicester 1
Brentford set up to defend a corner knowing Leicester will take it short, then read the pass easily and close them down quickly. A poor first touch give Leicester the chance to win it back immediately but Brentford can break and make it all the way up the other end.
Brentford absolutely in this one now. And this is another promising move! Castilo links with Dervisoglu outside the area and the latter spins with a great first touch to set up a shot, bends the ball to the far post but puts it five yards wide.
18 mins - Brentford 0 Leicester 1
BRENTFORD HAVE THE BALL IN THE NET... sort of. They've finally found their feet, a skill to go past Fuchs on the right, a cross into the area and a shot at goal from the edge of the box crashes into the side netting. So technically the ball was in a net, just not the right side of it.
Gray wins a free-kick near the Brentford box soon after, shapes for the top left and hits the wall.
15 mins - Brentford 0 Leicester 1
Iheanacho is having a really decent game. Leicester play out from the back with some lovely one touch passing, the ball is put in behind for Iheanacho to shoot from a narrow angle. He thumps it from about 12 yards but the goalkeeper saves.
12 mins - Brentford 0 Leicester 1
Justin goes for a header and lands awkwardly, staying down clutching his back. Hopefully he's OK but he fell from a height. He's back up again soon after.
10 mins - Brentford 0 Leicester 1
Brentford look panicked, there's no composure when they have the ball and much less out of possession. Leicester are winning the ball so easily.
Perez wins a free-kick wide on the edge of the box. Gray takes it short, shapes to hook it in and drives a low shot at the near post which hits the side netting.
8 mins - Brentford 0 Leicester 1
I might have been a bit hasty with the hold 'hiding' remark but going to stand by my feeling that Leicester will win this comfortably. They're finding space everywhere, the high press is working, taking shot, dragging defenders with their movement...
GOOOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAALLLLLLL!!!!!
This could be a hiding. It's only early on but there is a massive gap in quality between these two teams.
Brentford 0 Leicester 1
That through-ball! ��
Watch the #FACup live on @BBCOne or listen on @5liveSport
�� https://t.co/QNPSc4lhPq#brelei#bbcfacuppic.twitter.com/st2aoNDtEL— Match of the Day (@BBCMOTD) January 25, 2020
Leicester link up play from back to front, Brentford can't deal with a brilliant long pass by Praet, Austin overlaps and puts a cross in for Iheanacho to finish.
3 mins - Brentford 0 Leicester 0
Ward tries to go round a chasing a striker, takes a bad first touch and then pulls off a little 5aside skill to keep the ball and draw a foul.
Brentford playing out from the back but Leicester's high press is working well and forcing the ball out.
2 mins - Brentford 0 Leicester 0
Very nearly 1-0 Leicester within 20 seconds. Leicester get forward, Iheanacho drops back and threads a ball into Perez, who goes round the goalkeeper and is tackled before he can tap into an empty net. That'll wake them up.
KICK OFF
And we're off!
Here come the players
While you wait for kick off, might I recommend you give this brilliant piece by Sam Dean a read. It's a background on Brentford, how they operate, how everything works and where they're headed.
New stadium on the way
Soon Griffin Park will be no more and fans will travel a mile down the road to their shiny new stadium, featuring a giant Sonic the hedgehog thing next door. Is that where Sega are based?
Thomas Frank words
We know confidence in life and football is so important if we want magic moments, we are definitely ready for it.
Difficult managing the fixture list and work load?
Honestly, extremely hard. We like to show what we're all about and put the best side out but we need to think we're going into a three game week, but if you ask me if I want to win today and on Tuesday I say yes and yes!
It helps we are performing quite well, we feel among the fans it is a little bit special. Leicester is a very interesting opponent to play against but it's possibly the last ever FA Cup game so that's why it's a sell out.
Brendan Rodgers on Griffin Park
"I never normally go out on the pitch but I wanted to today. I used to come here as a young coach at Chelsea. The hospitality was first class."
How the teams look
Brentford
This is how the BBC reckon Brentford will play, and it looks about right to me. With the first choice XI they tend to press high, win the ball quickly and trick their way into the final third.
Leicester
Rodgers hasn't played 4-4-2 much in the last few seasons but did often when in charge of Watford and Reading, and a version of it at Liverpool. I'd imagine this is actually a lot closer to a 4-3-3 than it looks, but that will depend on what side the ball is on. A winger will go forward to form a three, a lot like they did under Ranieri.
Thomas Frank focusing on promotion
Benrahma, Mbeumo and Watkins all miss out today as Frank rests his electric front three to make sure they've got enough left in the tank for the final push for promotion.
As you can see from the Championship table, finishing in one of the top two spots isn't totally out of the question either and so why risk injuries and increase fatigue in busy legs by competing in a tournament they know they aren't going to win? There's always a chance of course... but football is business and clubs need to be sensible.
Leicester players inspecting the pitch
The magic of the cup
Is it magic though? Is it? The best thing about the FA Cup is that we get weird games like this between a confusingly talented Brentford and almost-title-challengers-but-not-really Leicester, at a non-traditional kick off time of 12:45pm, and so for that reason let us say that yes, the cup is great.
This could be a really entertaining game. Brentford have some brilliant players and are pushing for a playoff place this season but might feel like they have to adjust their style of play for the visit of such talented opposition. Their starting XI doesn't have Ollie Watkins in it either....
�� A century up for Kamohelo
The team news is in at Griffin Park#BRELEI | #BrentfordFCpic.twitter.com/pcGQthCUCq— Brentford FC (@BrentfordFC) January 25, 2020
While Leicester's team is full of young surprises. Maybe both managers aren't quite so thrilled by the cup magic after all.
Your #lcfc side to take on Brentford, sponsored by @eToro! ��#BreLei
— Leicester City (@LCFC) January 25, 2020
Stay with us for build up, live updates and analysis throughout.
