Despondent Van Nistelrooy admits Leicester have gone backwards

Leicester City boss Ruud van Nistelrooy acknowledged tonight’s home defeat to Brentford represented a “huge step back” for his struggling side.

Brentford overcame a slow start to cruise to a 4-0 victory at the King Power Stadium with the game effectively over by half-time with the visitors establishing a three-goal lead thanks to goals from Yoane Wissa, Bryan Mbeumo and Christian Norgaard.

Fabio Carvalho added a late fourth as Leicester remained inside the relegation zone, two points from safety.

It was a sobering night for Van Nistelrooy with the Leicester fans making their displeasure known with many leaving well before the end.

6 – Tonight was Leicester’s sixth consecutive home defeat without scoring in the Premier League – the longest ever run of home losses without a goal by any side within a single season in English top-flight history. Bleak. pic.twitter.com/viuURQnYxJ

— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) February 21, 2025

The former Netherlands striker told Sky Sports: “You have to acknowledge it’s a huge step back. There was hope after recent performances and the beginning of the game was hopeful with three chances. It could have changed the game. After the bright start from us we were never in the game again and at half-time the game was done.”

Record-breaking Foxes suffering

Leicester tonight set an unwanted record having become the first English top-flight side in history to lose six successive home games without scoring.

“We all have to lift ourselves first and then lift each other,” added Van Nistelrooy. “That is always the case. Everyone is going home really disappointed and gutted with the loss and disappointed with the levels we showed today. We have to acknowledge it, the level between Brentford and us was significant and a worry for future hopes for us.”

Foxes skipper Jamie Vardy fought hard to drive his side on but repeated defensive lapses meant his efforts went to waste.

The former England international said: “We have to keep working hard. We have put in some decent performances and need to be doing it consistently. We have to get back into training, watch this back and see where it all went wrong.

“There is massive determination. There are three out of the bottom four that are all fighting for it. As long as we are in with a shout we’ll knuckle down and focus on putting in decent performances.”

Superb Brentford win away again

Leicester’s misery was in stark contrast to Brentford’s delight after they secured their fourth successive away win in the Premier League for the first time.

Thomas Frank’s men moved up to 10th after a superb display.

He said: “I think we have been fairly consistent with performances. That ability to win – this is the first two in a row we have done this season which is strange. We are on an upward curve so hopefully we can continue that.

“It is not easy to win in the Premier League and not easy to win away. It is definitely not easy to win 4-0 away. I have good players, good staff and good leadership.

“I think they are brilliant individual players all of them, but what a unit they create by playing together. One plus one plus one, that normally equals 11 for a whole team but it is 14 or 15 for this team. We have now won two in a row but let’s see if we can get three in a row.”