Leicester snap losing run after they end goal drought to draw at Brighton

Beleaguered Leicester scored for the first time in nine Premier League games and snapped an eight-match losing run by battling to a thrilling 2-2 draw away to Brighton.

Caleb Okoli’s maiden goal in English football earned the Foxes a deserved point at the Amex Stadium after Stephy Mavididi registered the club’s first top-flight goal in 798 minutes of action with a first-half equaliser.

Joao Pedro converted a pair of VAR-awarded penalties to twice put Brighton in front.

But the ninth-placed Seagulls, whose pursuit of European qualification suffered another setback following successive defeats, paid a heavy price for failing to capitalise on a host of other chances and could easily have lost.

Leicester dominated the closing stages and hit a post through Bilal El Khannouss three minutes from time.

Ruud van Nistelrooy’s second-bottom side sit 14 points from safety with only 18 left to play for but the result means they cannot be relegated this weekend.

Under-pressure boss Van Nistelrooy vowed to fight on ahead of the trip to the south coast.

The Dutchman recalled Okoli and Mavididi as part of three changes from the side which started Monday’s limp 3-0 loss to Newcastle, while Yasin Ayari, Simon Adingra and Pedro came into the Brighton team beaten 2-1 at bitter rivals Crystal Palace.

Yankuba Minteh wastefully fired into the side-netting and Adingra was denied by Foxes goalkeeper Mads Hermansen as Brighton caused plenty of problems in the opening stages.

Leicester looked shaky defensively but remained a threat on the counter-attack.

Lively forward Mavididi, who had an early effort blocked by makeshift Seagulls centre-back Carlos Baleba, went close with another good opening, before the visitors’ back-line was breached in the