Highlights and report as Southampton slip to a second successive defeat
Saturday 25 August 2018 17:50, UK
Harry Maguire was the hero as his stoppage-time strike earned Leicester a 2-1 victory over 10-man Southampton at St Mary's.
After a tepid first period, Ryan Bertrand opened the scoring seven minutes into a thrilling second half, but that lead lasted just four minutes as Demarai Gray capitalised on some poor Southampton defending to equalise.
Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg then took centre stage as he went down in the box 13 minutes from time, but instead of earning his side a penalty, referee Jonathan Moss brandished a second yellow for simulation, with a red to follow.
Saints looked like they had done enough to hold on for a point, but Maguire had other ideas, as he drilled into the net through a sea of defenders (90+2) to snatch all three points for a Leicester side without the suspended Jamie Vardy.
Mark Hughes named an attack-minded side as he went in search of a solution to Saints' woes in front of goal, especially on their own patch, but even such a multitude of options could not inspire the hosts in the first half.
Nathan Redmond tested Leicester goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel low down to his right, before Danny Ings swivelled and fired for goal right on the stroke of half-time but the Denmark international was again equal to it.
The second half was the antithesis of the first, with the action flowing from end to end. Ings almost broke the deadlock four minutes after the break but was denied by Schmeichel.
Schmeichel, however, was powerless soon after as Bertrand struck. Hojbjerg's low cross rolled into the path of the Saints skipper on the edge of the box, but he timed his strike to perfection, powering the ball into the roof of the net.
The game opened up as a result, with both sides creating chances, but Hojbjerg's senseless dismissal, as he tried to win a penalty despite no contact being made by Leicester's Daniel Amartey, ensured Saints tightened things up, content with a point.
And they almost held out, until Maguire stepped up. Fed by Chilwell on the left, the England international strode forward, fired for goal, the ball came through plentiful Saints defenders, leaving McCarthy wrong-footed, as he could only look on as the ball rolled into the net for the winner.
Another performance to show why Leicester were demanding such an exorbitant fee for the England defender. His strike late in the day proved decisive, but some of his last-ditch defending was just as important at St Mary's.
One moment, in particular, exemplified everything Maguire is about, as he nicked the ball off the toe of Ings in the first half, just as the former Liverpool striker looked sure to score. Maguire (10) made two more clearances than anyone else on the pitch.
Southampton travel to Brighton in the Carabao Cup in midweek before a Premier League trip to Crystal Palace next weekend, while Leicester host Fleetwood Town in the cup, before welcoming Liverpool to the King Power next Saturday, live on Sky Sports.
