LEICESTER, United Kingdom: Leicester’s bid to avoid relegation from the Premier League hit a historic low as Brentford cruised to a 4-0 win at the King Power Stadium on Friday.
Ruud van Nistelrooy’s side would have moved out of the relegation zone with a victory, but instead they remain two points from safety.
Yoane Wissa, Bryan Mbeumo and Christian Norgaard all scored for Brentford in a wretched first half for second-bottom Leicester.
Fabio Carvalho netted in the closing stages and the Foxes were booed off after a 10th defeat in their last 11 league games that added to the pressure on the under-fire Van Nistelrooy.
Underlining the depth of their struggles, Leicester made unwanted history as the first team in the Premier League era to lose six successive home games without scoring in any of them.
With just 12 games left to avoid a relegation, Leicester are in severe danger of an immediate return to the Championship.
Enzo Maresca quit to take charge of Chelsea after masterminding Leicester’s promotion last season and the club’s Thai owners have failed to find an adequate replacement for the Italian.
Steve Cooper was sacked after just five months in charge and former Manchester United striker Van Nistelrooy has fared no better.
Leicester have won just four of their 26 league games this season, with Van Nistelrooy contributing only two of those victories in 15 matches.
Van Nistelrooy was waiting to officially take charge of Leicester when they were thrashed at Brentford while he watched from the stands in November.
If he could be forgiven for the result on that occasion, there were no excuses for the Dutchman this time.
Jamie Vardy needs two goals to reach 200 in all competitions for Leicester and the veteran striker nearly moved closer to that milestone in the opening moments.
Bursting into the Brentford area, Vardy was denied from by Mark Flekken’s fine save.
But Wissa’s 13th goal this season put 10th-placed Brentford ahead at the climax of an eye-catching raid in the 17th minute.
Kevin Schade’s back-heel reached Mikkel Damsgaard on the edge of the area and he clipped a perfect pass toward Wissa, whose close-range strike bounced awkwardly past wrong-footed Leicester keeper Mads Hermansen.
Brentford’s quality on the counter was too much for Van Nistelrooy’s men to handle.
In the 27th minute, Mbeumo took Damsgaard’s pass on the right flank, cut into the area and curled a superb shot into the far corner for his 15th goal this term.
Leicester were in disarray and Norgaard effectively ended the contest after just 32 minutes.
Mbeumo whipped a free-kick into the six-yard box and Leicester were too slow to respond as Norgaard rose to thump his header past Hermansen.
That was the signal for hundreds of disgruntled Leicester fans to head for the exits.
Those that stayed saw Kristoffer Ajer’s effort cannon off the post as Brentford pushed for a fourth.
Thomas Frank’s side rubbed salt into Leicester’s gaping wounds in the 89th minute when Carvalho slotted home from Mbeumo’s pass.
Leicester hit historic low in Brentford rout
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Leicester hit historic low in Brentford rout
- Leicester made unwanted history as the first team in the Premier League era to lose six successive home games without scoring
Barcelona win record 16th Spanish Super Cup title after end-to-end El Clasico in Jeddah
- 60,326 fans witness thrilling El Clasico final at Al-Inma Stadium
- 3 goals in first-half stoppage time mark Saudi Arabia encounter
JEDDAH: To describe the latest edition of El Clasico in Jeddah as a night to remember would be a severe understatement.
Barcelona extended their record at the top of the Spanish Super Cup honors table, claiming a 16th title with a dramatic 3-2 victory over Real Madrid in another unforgettable chapter of football in Saudi Arabia.
The night began with a striking opening ceremony, featuring a light show and holographic projections across the sky. “From Jeddah, We Celebrate You,” read one message, as fans illuminated Al-Inma Stadium in shades of blue, red and white.
Despite the scoreline, the opening half hour was relatively subdued. Barcelona held nearly 80 percent of the ball, but clear chances were limited. A “Messi” chant by Barcelona fans in the 10th minute was one of the few moments to break the tension.
It was a Raphinha miss that ended up igniting the proceedings. Lamine Yamal threaded a curling through-ball in the 34th minute that found the Brazilian one-on-one with Thibaut Courtois, only for his effort to be dragged wide of the post.
Only seconds later did Barcelona capitalize. Fermin Lopez’s press won the ball back in Real Madrid’s half, laying it off to Raphinha, who took a few touches before striking past Courtois through Aurelien Tchouameni’s legs to open the scoring.
Few expected an immediate response, but Vinicius Jr. delivered one. Collecting the ball on the edge of Barcelona’s half, the Brazilian carried it over 60 meters toward goal before evading Jules Kounde and Pau Cubarsi to finish past Joan Garcia in the second minute of first-half stoppage time.
Barcelona struck back instantly. Pedri, spotting Robert Lewandowski’s movement between the Real Madrid center-backs, laid off a through-ball to release him with perfect timing as the Polish striker delicately lobbed it past Courtois to restore the Blaugrana’s lead.
The frantic first half, however, did not end there. In the final moments of stoppage time, Rodrygo’s corner was met by Dean Huijsen, whose header crashed off the crossbar. Amid the scramble for the rebound, Gonzalo Garcia reacted quickest to fire in the goal and bring Los Merengues back on level terms.
The second half unfolded at a more controlled pace, with both sides mindful of the spaces left exposed earlier. Vinicius remained Real Madrid’s most dangerous outlet — cutting in from the left on multiple occasions — while Yamal and Raphinha continued to torment the opposition in the channels.
The most anticipated player of the night was yet to enter the pitch. As Kylian Mbappe took to the sidelines to warm up, the crowd roared its appreciation.
The din did not die down, as a controversial tackle by Raul Asencio on Pedri on the counter right after, led to a loud response from fans and players, before the referee settled on a yellow.
Despite four goals scored, the goalkeepers dominated the proceedings, with Courtois and Garcia combining for 11 saves on the night.
Ultimately, one of them was beaten. As Raphinha aimed for a shot outside the box in the 73rd minute, he slipped as he struck the ball, only for his shot to deflect off Asencio, wrong-footing Courtois and finding the net for what proved to be the winner.
Xabi Alonso introduced Mbappe soon after, but there was only so much the Frenchman could do with little preparation and less than 15 minutes remaining. Real Madrid pressed late, only to be repeatedly denied by Garcia.
Drama returned in stoppage time when Frenkie de Jong was sent off following a heavy challenge on Mbappe, leaving Barcelona to defend with 10 men. It was now or never for Los Blancos.
In the fifth minute of stoppage time, they threw numbers forward, causing confusion following a low cross by Arda Guler, but Alvaro Carreras’ effort went straight to the hands of Garcia.
One final chance followed. Mbappe received the ball from a corner, lifting it toward Asencio on the edge of the 5.5-meter box for a clear header at goal.
Garcia, however, would rise once more to make his seventh and final save of the match, sealing victory for Barcelona and confirming their record-extending 16th Spanish Super Cup title.
