Leicester end losing run with draw at Brentford

Brentford substitute Shandon Baptiste was sent off for a second bookable offence

In Summary
  • Barnes was sent through on goal by James Maddison shortly after half-time, dinking the ball over Brentford keeper David Raya.
  • Earlier, Mathias Jensen's deflected shot had put Brentford ahead in the 32nd minute at the Gtech Community Stadium.
Leicester City players celebrate during their match against Wolves
Leicester City players celebrate during their match against Wolves
Image: HANDOUT

Leicester City gained a crucial point and ended their five-match losing run as Harvey Barnes netted a second-half equaliser at high-flying Brentford in the Premier League.

Barnes was sent through on goal by James Maddison shortly after half-time, dinking the ball over Brentford keeper David Raya.

Earlier, Mathias Jensen's deflected shot had put Brentford ahead in the 32nd minute at the Gtech Community Stadium.

In the closing stages, Brentford substitute Shandon Baptiste was sent off for a second bookable offence, catching Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall.

A point for Leicester saw them stay 16th in the Premier League table.

Brentford missed out on a chance to break into the top six and remain eighth.

Barnes stops the rot for Leicester

Barnes returned to Leicester's starting line-up having been benched in last Saturday's 3-1 defeat to Chelsea.

The England midfielder, like the rest of his Leicester team-mates, looked second-best in the first half, but made no mistake finishing the Foxes' first clear-cut opportunity in the 52nd minute.

And after their leveller the visitors grew into the game, with Timothy Castagne and Harry Souttar having efforts blocked.

There are still areas of concern for Brendan Rodgers' side, who remain in the thick of a relegation battle.

Leicester are one of just three sides across Europe's top five leagues not to have kept a clean sheet since club football resumed after last winter's World Cup.

Goalkeeper Daniel Iversen made his Premier League debut, replacing regular number one Danny Ward, but was unable to keep out Jensen's strike which deflected off both Ricardo Pereira and Dewsbury-Hall.

Brentford fail to finish Foxes off in first half

Brentford should have had the game won in the first half.

They deservedly went ahead through Jensen's fourth goal in his last five home games for the Bees.

Earlier, Bryan Mbeumo had seen his close-range header fly just wide and both the winger and fellow forward Ivan Toney, recently called up to the England squad, had a flurry of efforts blocked.

In the second half, Thomas Frank's side struggled to break down their opponents and it was Leicester who looked the likelier to find a winner.

Midfielder Shandon Baptiste came on in the 75th minute but had a late cameo to forget, collecting two yellow cards in three minutes as Brentford were made to play the last five minutes of injury time with 10 men.

Brentford's next game after the international break is against Brighton on Saturday 1 April, while Leicester City play Crystal Palace on the same day.