Leicester City’s relegation woes deepened on Friday as they suffered a crushing 4-0 home defeat to Brentford at the King Power Stadium.
The Foxes missed a golden opportunity to climb out of the drop zone and remain two points from safety after a 10th defeat in their last 11 league games.
Ruud van Nistelrooy’s side endured a torrid first half, conceding goals to Yoane Wissa, Bryan Mbeumo, and Christian Norgaard.
A late strike from Fabio Carvalho compounded Leicester’s misery as they became the first team in English top-flight history to lose six successive home games without scoring.
“You have to acknowledge it’s a huge step back. There was hope after recent performances, the beginning of the game was hopeful with three chances,” Van Nistelrooy admitted.
“After the bright start we were never in the game again and at half-time the game was done. Everyone is going home gutted with the loss and disappointed with the levels we showed.”
With just 12 matches remaining, Leicester face an uphill battle to avoid an immediate return to the Championship.
The club’s managerial instability has played a role in their struggles, with Enzo Maresca’s departure to Chelsea and Steve Cooper’s short-lived tenure leaving the team in turmoil.
Van Nistelrooy has managed only two wins in his 15 games in charge. “We know we gave the other teams above us and below us a chance to gain points and momentum,” Van Nistelrooy said. “Then it can become really difficult really quickly if we don’t start picking up points.”
Brentford, meanwhile, were clinical in attack. Wissa opened the scoring in the 17th minute following a clever assist from Mikkel Damsgaard, while Mbeumo doubled the lead with a stunning strike ten minutes later. Norgaard’s header from a well-delivered free-kick sealed Leicester’s fate before halftime.
The second half saw further frustration for the home side, with Brentford’s dominance continuing. Carvalho’s late goal from Mbeumo’s assist was the final blow for Leicester, whose supporters had already started exiting the stadium in disappointment.
Van Nistelrooy now faces mounting pressure to turn things around quickly, with Leicester’s survival hopes hanging in the balance. The Foxes must find a way to regroup before their next crucial fixtures if they are to salvage their season.
