Leicester’s Van Nistelrooy Acknowledges Brentford Loss as a ‘Significant Setback’

Leicester City’s efforts to steer clear of relegation from the Premier League plummeted to a new low as Brentford secured a commanding 4-0 victory at the King Power Stadium on Friday night.

Ruud van Nistelrooy’s team had the opportunity to escape the relegation zone with a win, but they now find themselves two points adrift of safety.

Brentford’s Yoane Wissa, Bryan Mbeumo, and Christian Norgaard all found the back of the net in a dismal first half for the Foxes, who sit second from the bottom of the league.

Fabio Carvalho capped off the scoring late in the game, leaving Leicester with a chorus of boos ringing in their ears after suffering their 10th loss in 11 league fixtures, intensifying the pressure on the beleaguered Van Nistelrooy.

Leicester’s woes were compounded as they made unwanted history, becoming the first team in England’s top flight to lose six consecutive home matches without scoring a single goal.

“It’s essential to recognise this as a significant step back. There was optimism following recent performances, and the start of the match seemed promising with three chances,” Van Nistelrooy stated.

“However, after that bright beginning, we were never really in contention again, and by half-time, the match was effectively over. Everyone is departing feeling devastated by the defeat and disappointed with our performance levels.”

With only 12 matches remaining to stave off relegation, Leicester find themselves in a precarious position, facing the threat of an immediate drop back to the Championship.

Enzo Maresca resigned to take the helm at Chelsea after guiding Leicester to promotion last season, but the Thai ownership has struggled to find a suitable successor for the Italian.

Steve Cooper was dismissed after just five months, and former Manchester United striker Van Nistelrooy has not fared any better.

Leicester’s record stands at four wins from 26 league matches this season, with Van Nistelrooy accountable for only two victories from 15 encounters.

In disarray

“We’ve allowed teams above and below us to gain momentum,” Van Nistelrooy commented.

“It can become quite dire, very quickly, if we fail to start accumulating points.”

Van Nistelrooy was observing from the stands when Leicester endured a heavy defeat at Brentford back in November, awaiting to officially take charge. While that result could have been excused, there were no such justifications this time around.

Wissa’s 13th goal of the season put Brentford in front after a spectacular move in the 17th minute.

Kevin Schade’s clever back-heel set up Mikkel Damsgaard on the edge of the box, who produced a pinpoint pass for Wissa, whose close-range shot casually bounced past the wrong-footed Leicester goalkeeper, Mads Hermansen.

Brentford’s counter-attacking prowess proved overwhelming for Van Nistelrooy’s side.

Mbeumo added to the scoreline in the 27th minute with a fierce effort, curling a sublime shot into the far corner after evading defenders following a pass from Damsgaard on the right.

As Leicester faltered, Norgaard sealed Leicester’s fate just 32 minutes in, powering a header past Hermansen after Mbeumo’s free-kick was not dealt with in the box.

This prompted a wave of frustrated Leicester fans to exit the stadium prematurely.

Those who remained witnessed Kristoffer Ajer strike the post as Brentford continued to press for more goals.

Brentford inflicted further misery on Leicester in the 89th minute, with Carvalho netting from Mbeumo’s precise pass.