Leicester hit historic low in Brentford rout

Leicester hit historic low in Brentford rout
Brentford celebrate after scoring. (Action Images via Reuters)
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Updated 22 February 2025

Leicester hit historic low in Brentford rout

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

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.


Real Madrid salvage 1-1 draw with Paris FC in Women’s Champions League, Kerr nets 2 in Chelsea rout

Real Madrid salvage 1-1 draw with Paris FC in Women’s Champions League, Kerr nets 2 in Chelsea rout
Updated 12 November 2025

Real Madrid salvage 1-1 draw with Paris FC in Women’s Champions League, Kerr nets 2 in Chelsea rout

Real Madrid salvage 1-1 draw with Paris FC in Women’s Champions League, Kerr nets 2 in Chelsea rout
  • Norway star Ada Hegerberg scored twice in Lyon’s win, while Catarina Macario and Sam Kerr both scored twice in Chelsea’s 6-0 rout of tournament debutant St. Polten
  • Norwegian club Valerenga defeated Roma 1-0 for their first win in the competition

LONDON: Caroline Weir scored a dramatic late goal for Real Madrid to salvage a 1-1 draw with Paris FC in the Women’s Champions League on Tuesday, when Lyon defeated fellow heavyweight Wolfsburg 3-1.

Weir scored in the eighth minute of stoppage time — there were only supposed to be six — to deny Paris another win in Madrid with the visitors desperately trying to hold on after Lorena Azzaro had scored a penalty before the break.

The French team had won 1-0 with a penalty in 2023, when it completed home and away wins over the Spanish club.

Norway star Ada Hegerberg scored twice in Lyon’s win, while Catarina Macario and Sam Kerr both scored twice in Chelsea’s 6-0 rout of tournament debutant St. Polten. Wieke Kaptein and an own goal from Lisa Ebert completed the scoring in Austria.

Earlier, Norwegian club Valerenga defeated Roma 1-0 for their first win in the competition.

Madrid frustrated

The Spanish side dominated the opening half-hour with Linda Caicedo hitting the crossbar after working her way through a host of defenders, and goalkeeper Mylène Chavas denying an effort from Naomie Feller.

But Filippa Angeldahl was penalized for a foul on substitute Sheika Scott and Azzaro dispatched Paris’ penalty in the 41st.

The home team’s frustration grew as their second-half pressure failed to yield a dividend with Caicedo drawing a good save from Chavas, who went on to make more stops. Goalkeeper Misa Rodríguez was booked after complaining about a questionable referee’s decision.

Weir finally made a chance count at the last when she squeezed the ball past the otherwise faultless Chavas.

“The performance was decent enough. We just couldn’t get the ball in the back of the net,” the Scotland star told ESPN.

Lyon deliver statement

Hegerberg grabbed two goals five minutes apart in the first half and team captain Wendie Renard scored a penalty as eight-time champion Lyon dismissed Wolfsburg’s challenge by dominating from start to finish in the teams’ 11th meeting.

Lineth Beerensteyn scored the German team’s consolation.

It was Lyon’s seventh straight win over Wolfsburg. Renard, who played in all of their previous meetings, became the first player to clock 100 wins in UEFA club competitions.

Hegerberg extended her record as the competition’s top scorer, taking her tally to 69 goals.

Vålerenga’s historic win

Stine Brekken scored and Vålerenga held on to celebrate an unprecedented win for the club in Rome.

Roma made the better start before the visitors grew in confidence with Sara Hørte hitting the post with a deflected header in the 34th minute.

Brekken, a 20-year-old midfielder, scored six minutes later when she eluded a defender with a smart turn and surged forward past more static defenders before firing the ball inside the top left corner.

“We have been fighting so long to get better and to get some points here in Champions League. So to finally get that (win) is a really, really good feeling for the team,” Brekken said.