Leicester 2 Brentford 1: Bees still not fully out of Premier League drop danger as Maddison wondergoal gives Rodgers win
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ALL this talent, yet James Maddison still has just one England cap to his name.
The Leicester midfielder will be feeling hard done by after receiving another snub from Gareth Southgate for next week’s Three Lions friendlies.
His first-half free kick proved to be the difference as Brendan Rodgers’ side held on after Yoane Wissa's late strike made it a nervy finish for the Foxes.
It was his sixth direct free-kick in the Prem since making his debut in 2018.
Only James Ward-Prowse, who will have a chance to go into double figures with England after another call up by Southgate, has more with ten.
But Maddison is still level on par with the likes of Joey Barton, Lee Bowyer and Steve Guppy of having a lonely England cap back at home.
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Kasper Schmeichel was denied an on-pitch reunion with Christian Eriksen for the first time since his dramatic cardiac arrest when the midfielder was ruled out with Covid.
But after 11 minutes he would have been grateful The Bees were starved of his quality.
A poor goal kick from the stopper allowed Brentford to break but he was able to gather after a poor cross from Wissa.
And then Timothy Castange marked his return to the side for the first time this year with a stunner from 22-yards.
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Fully-recovered from a serious thigh injury he suffered in December, it was like the Belgian international had never been away after he curled into the top corner from a Harvey Barnes lay-off.
Schmeichel denied Vitaly Janelt moments later - before the Bees midfielder proved he had not done his homework after a needless foul on Maddison just outside the box.
Maddison made no mistake from the resulting freekick, finding the opposite corner to Castange for Leicester's 800th Premier League goal.
David Raya then denied him a second from distance as the Leicester No10 emerged out after the break hungry for more goals.
Kelechi Iheanacho was left kicking the post in frustration as his attempted lob sailed past the post after racing clear.
After surviving the onslaught from Rodger’s Foxes, the Bees finally took flight but were denied by two spectacular stops from Schmeichel.
Pontus Jannson met a cross at the back post after being left unmarked but the Danish No1 made himself big and blocked the effort.
And he was at it again to deny Bryan Mbeumo at point blank range after the Frenchman was picked out by Ivan Toney.
Boss Thomas Frank said: “We were the better team in the second half and on a day when it dropped for us we could have got a point.
I just said to Kasper: "What are you doing? Don’t be that good."
Jonny Evans’ return from injury for the first time this year was met with a standing ovation by the King Power Stadium as he was introduced just after the hour mark.
But the Northern Ireland defender was in for no easy ride as Leicester made hard work of seeing out the three points.
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Brentford’s hard work was finally rewarded as Wissa matched Castange and Maddison’s corkers with one of his own in the 85th-minute.
But it only turned out to be a consolation as Rodger’s side held on.