Leicester City vs. Brighton & Hove Albion

Leicester City goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel’s first-half penalty save denied Brighton & Hove Albion a second win on the trot as the two teams played out an insipid 0-0 draw in the Premier League on Tuesday.

Visitors Brighton, who beat Arsenal on Saturday, had the opportunity to take the lead after James Justin fouled Aaron Connolly in the box but Schmeichel guessed correctly and dived smartly to his right to deny Neal Maupay from the penalty spot.

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Graham Potter named Brighton’s youngest ever starting lineup in a Premier League game and managed to restrict Leicester to just two shots on target despite the home side dominating possession.

“We had to battle, I thought in the first half we were really good, carried a threat and reduced a good side to not too much,” Potter told BBC.

“We defended as a team but I’m proud of the performance, endeavour and work rate to keep a clean sheet.”

Leicester, who are targeting a return to the Champions League, are yet to claim all three points since the league’s restart last week having been held to a 1-1 draw at Watford over the weekend.

In a game bereft of clear goal scoring chances, defender Caglar Soyuncu nearly gave Leicester the lead in first half stoppage time but saw his header at the far post drift inches wide.

Leicester appealed for a penalty when a cross in second-half stoppage time hit Lewis Dunk’s flailing arm but referee Lee Mason waved it away, a decision upheld by the Video Assistant Referee (VAR).

“I don’t think we were very good in the first half. We got into some good positions but didn’t have enough movement in front of the ball,” Leicester boss Brendan Rodgers told Sky Sports.

“It felt like it was coming but we didn’t quite make the final pass. Clean sheet, and for fitness it was really good. We’ll take a point… We certainly don’t have a rhythm yet but we have an outstanding mentality.”

The result was 15th-placed Brighton’s fourth consecutive away draw and pushed them six points clear of the relegation zone while Leicester remain in third place, four points clear of Chelsea in fourth.

“Leicester City vs. Brighton & Hove Albion”

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Ezequiel Schelotto and Beram Kayal’s contracts were due to expire at the end of this month, but with the season only just restarting after the Covid-19 lockdown, they have each agreed to extend their stay with the club.

Argentinian Schelotto made his 32nd appearance of his Albion career when he started in last Saturday’s 2-1 win against Arsenal, having joined the club in 2017 from Portuguese top-flight side Sporting Lisbon.

Schelotto, 31, was an unused substitute in yesterday’s 0-0 draw at Leicester.

Brighton and Hove Albion FC

Kayal,32, is yet to make an appearance for Albion this campaign, after spending time out on loan at Charlton Athletic earlier on in the season which was cut short due to injury in January.

He has not featured in the matchday squads since the restart but head coach Graham Potter said last week he is fit and ready to help the squad if called upon.

The Israeli international signed for the Seagulls in 2015 from Celtic and has gone on to make more than 100 appearances in an Albion shirt.

Technical Director Dan Ashworth said, “We have a very busy period coming up with seven games between now and July 26 so it’s important we have as many options as possible during this period.

“We are delighted that Ezequiel and Beram have extended their contracts through to the end of the season.”

Brighton are 15th in the Premier League and six points above the relegation places with seven matches remaining. Next up for Graham Potter’s team are Manchester United at the Amex Stadium on Tuesday, June 30.

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“Player ratings: Who shone and who struggled for Brighton at Leicester”

2 . Tariq Lamptey 8/10

Energetic. Confident. Tenacious. Showed quick bursts of pace and technique to get forward and beat a man, or two. Went down after a collision with Maddison which led to a bloody mouth, but he got back up. Can see he’s gifted and is very much a raw talent for Potter to craft. Dealt well with Jamie Vardy.

“In Profile: Brighton & Hove Albion”

Leicester City host 15th-place Brighton & Hove Albion in a behind-closed-doors Premier League fixture on Tuesday 23 June (6pm kick-off).

Your Matchday Itinerary: How To Follow City vs. Brighton

Brendan Rodgers' Foxes return to King Power Stadium on Tuesday for the visit of Graham Potter’s Brighton and Hove Albion side.

City are looking to record a first victory since the restart, following Saturday’s 1-1 draw with Watford at Vicarage Road.

The Seagulls, meanwhile, enjoyed a good start to playing behind closed doors, beating Arsenal 2-1 at AMEX Stadium to complete a league double over the Gunners and move five points clear of the relegation zone.

As LCFC.com continues to profile every side City will face over the 2019/20 campaign, this week we take a closer look at Potter’s Brighton outfit…

The manager

Expand photo Graham Potter Graham Potter took charge of the Seagulls in the summer of 2019, following a single season managing Swansea City in the Sky Bet Championship.

Former Stoke City, West Bromwich Albion and York City left-back Graham Potter signed a four-year contract as Brighton’s manager in the summer of 2019, following one year at Swansea City.

The Seagulls made an assured start to the 2019/20 season following his appointment, securing wins over Watford, Tottenham Hotspur, Everton and Norwich City.

However, Leicester’s 2-0 victory at AMEX Stadium in November put a halt to their good run of form and the South Coast outfit would only record two more league wins before the postponement of Premier League football in March.

After graduating from the Open University with a degree in Social Science, working for the University of Hull as a football development manager and as a technical director for the Ghana women’s team, Potter also completed a master’s in Leadership and Emotional Intelligence, before going into professional football management.

Potter’s career began at Östersund in Sweden, where he led them from the fourth tier to the Allsvenskan, the country’s top division, eventually also winning the Svenska Cupen, or Swedish Cup.

That latter success qualified his side for the second qualifying round of the 2017/18 UEFA Europa League, where they would defeat Turkish giants Galatasaray 3-1 over two legs.

Also overcoming Fola Esch and PAOK, Östersund eventually reached the group stage and would finish second, level on points with Athletic Bilbao, seeing them into the knockout round.

Potter and his resilient, skilful side truly made headlines in England by sealing a remarkable 2-1 victory over Arsenal at Emirates Stadium, but would eventually suffer an aggregate defeat in 2018.

In the following summer, Potter moved to Swansea City, reaching the quarter-finals of the Emirates FA Cup, finishing 10th in the Sky Bet Championship and building a youthful, talented squad.

The players

Expand photo Neal Maupay French forward Neal Maupay is Brighton’s top scorer with nine Premier League goals to his name so far this campaign.

Graham Potter made 10 signings during his first summer window in charge, including Adam Webster, from Bristol City, for a reported £20M, and Leandro Trossard, from Genk, for a reported £18M.

Also coming in were Neal Maupay, from Brentford, who is currently the Seagulls' top scorer with nine goals, and Aaron Mooy, who joined from Huddersfield Town on loan before making his move permanent in January.

Elsewhere in the winter transfer window, Brighton moved to secure the services of Chelsea youngster Tariq Lamptey, with the 19-year-old right-back signing on a permanent deal reportedly worth around £3M.

Going the other way, forward Jurgen Locadia left AMEX Stadium, signing on loan for new MLS side Cincinnati, while defenders Leon Balogun and Gaëtan Bong moved into the Sky Bet Championship, signing for Wigan Athletic and Nottingham Forest respectively.

While Potter has several established Premier League players at his disposal, including Lewis Dunk, Glenn Murray and Pascal Groß, he also has been keen to promote youth.

After making an excellent impression at Under-23s level, including scoring at King Power Stadium against Leicester’s youngsters, Irish striker Aaron Connolly was promoted to Brighton’s first team.

In October, Connolly scored his first two goals in the Premier League in a brilliant 3-0 home win over Tottenham Hotspur, earning him a maiden call-up for the Republic of Ireland and later making two international outings.

Only Australian goalkeeper Mathew Ryan has featured in all 30 of their Premier League fixtures to date, while top scoring forward Maupay has missed just one game so far this season.

The trophy cabinet

Expand photo Glenn Murray Brighton were promoted to the Premier League for the first time at the end of the 2016/17 season.

Three-time third tier champions Brighton (1958, 2002 and 2011) have also finished as runners-up in the second tier twice, in 1979 and, most recently, in 2017.

Over their history, the Seagulls have also won the fourth division twice, in 1965 and 2001, while lifting the Southern Football League title back in 1910.

In domestic cup competitions, meanwhile, the South Coast side were FA Cup runners-up in 1983, losing a replay to Manchester United, and FA Charity Shield winners in 1910.

The stadium

Expand photo AMEX Stadium Brighton moved to their current home, AMEX Stadium, in 2011 and regularly attract crowds of over 30,000 for Premier League fixtures.

AMEX Stadium, Brighton’s home since 2011, is among the most picturesque venues in English football, surrounded by woodland and including an iconic curved design to its four stands.

Based in the village of Falmer, the 30,750-capacity ground was built after Brighton left the Goldstone Ground in 1995 with no permanent new home arranged.

After ground sharing at Gillingham’s Priestfield Stadium for two seasons, 50 miles away in Kent, the club then moved to Withdean Stadium, where they remained between 1999 and 2011.

After expansion work since its opening in 2011, AMEX Stadium allows Brighton to regularly attract crowds in the region of 30,000, while also providing a day-to-day home for the club.

The fixtures

Expand photo Brighton & Hove Albion The Seagulls take on Manchester United at home in their next Premier League fixture.

After travelling to King Power Stadium this Tuesday, Brighton return home to face Manchester United the following Tuesday (8:15pm kick-off), before another away trip, this time against Norwich City on Saturday 4 July (3pm kick-off).

They then welcome the European Champions, Liverpool, to AMEX Stadium on Wednesday 8 July (8:15pm kick-off), before taking on Premier League holders Manchester City three days later, also at home (8pm kick-off).

The season comes to a close for Graham Potter’s side with visits to Southampton on Wednesday 15 July (8pm kick-off) and Burnley on Sunday 26 July (3pm kick-off), with a home game against Newcastle United sandwiched in between on Saturday 18 July (3pm kick-off).

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“Brighton & Hove Albion FC seeks trade mark protection for ‘Albion’”

Brighton & Hove Albion FC has applied to the UK Intellectual Property Office (UKIPO) to trade mark the terms ‘Albion’ and ‘The Albion’, but what for and is the application likely to succeed?

According to news reports at The Daily Telegraph, the Premier League club claims the move is intended to protect supporters from unwittingly buying fake or counterfeit merchandise bearing its name. Trade mark ownership would also bring the club wider commercial benefits; creating opportunities for licensing deals with a variety of manufacturers, retailers and other service providers.

The application was originally filed by the club at the end of 2019, but has recently been ‘advertised’, indicating that the marks have been accepted by the UK Intellectual Property Office (UKIPO) as ‘distinctive’. The registration is likely to be granted in the coming months, unless an opposition is filed by 6 July 2020.

The club already owns a trade mark for its full name – Brighton & Hove Albion – which it secured in 2011.

Tania Clark, partner and trade mark attorney at European intellectual property firm,Withers & Rogers, said: “Brighton & Hove Albion FC has spotted an opportunity to strengthen its trade mark portfolio by attempting to acquire registrations for ‘Albion’ and ‘The Albion’. As well as wanting to crack down on the sale of counterfeit goods, which will be impacting the sale of its own branded merchandise, the move could also open the door to some potentially-lucrative licensing opportunities.

“Despite its heritage as a term meaning ‘Great Britain’, the word ‘Albion’ already has trade mark protection for use in a number of market categories in the UK. Therefore, there is a precedent for its acceptance as a trade mark, and unless an opposition is filed by 6 July, it is likely to be granted.

“To ease its passage, the club seems to be intending to restrict the scope of the registration. The wording of the application suggests that the club is willing to limit its rights in so far as goods are concerned to merchandise connected to the full club name, which means that other clubs –West Bromwich Albion and Burton Albion – should be able to continue to use their own club name.

In recent years, a number of prominent football clubs have been involved in trade mark disputes with businesses attempting to use their name or logo. Last month, Manchester United decided to sue the popular video game, Football Manager, which is made by Sega and Sports Interactive (SI), over use of the club’s name.

The right to use club names in video games has also given rise to a series of global disputes linked to licensing deals. Among the most notable was a spat between the makers of two rival football video games – Konami’s PES 2020 and EA’s FIFA 2020 – over the right to feature world-famous club names such as Juventus, Manchester United and Barcelona.

Clark added: “There is no doubt that licensing deals with manufacturers, retailers and other service providers are big business for football clubs and owning registered trade marks is the key to unlocking this value. With many of the world’s most famous clubs having taken the lead by acquiring robust trade mark portfolios, other clubs in the Premier League should follow.”

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