Early Goals Were Key, Says Maddison

- James Maddison says Leicester City’s rapid start proved crucial in their 3-0 Premier League triumph against Brighton & Hove Albion
- Maddison’s first-half double and a goal from Jamie Vardy saw the Foxes carry a commanding advantage into the break
- The No.10 applauded Wilfred Ndidi for winning the ball back before he netted his second of the evening

City surged into a commanding three-goal lead before the interval, as a spell of 18 minutes saw Maddison notch twice and Jamie Vardy finish clinically from a James Justin cross.

England international Maddison felt his side’s swift start in the opening 45 minutes then allowed them to dictate the game after the interval, as they quashed Brighton's advances to win the game.

Maddison told LCFC TV: “That was a performance that I think we needed, to be honest. I think it's games like this, this sort of magnitude, that we haven't actually been great in this year, especially at home.

“But the difference today was we came out quickly. I think that's something that we've looked at and in the home games where we haven't picked up points and we've had losses, where we think we should've had wins, we haven't actually started the game as well as what we want to.

“I think we kind of took Brighton by surprise today, how quickly we came out the blocks, the high pressing and the attacking football. When you get early goals in the Premier League it's so hard to come back.

“We know that because of when we've conceded in the past, you learn from that. So, if you can get those early goals you give the other team a mountain to climb and I thought we saw the game out brilliantly in the second half.”

City’s switch in formation, first to a 4-2-3-1 and then to a 4-3-3, meant they were able to react quickly to how the Seagulls lined up, according to Maddison.

“That's credit to the manager because we had a little switch of formation,” he continued. “We started with the five, or three [defenders], whatever you want to call it and switched early on because the gaffer realised that they set up differently to what we expected.

“We adapted to that well, and that's why we say it's really good that we were able to do that. The lads know the roles and responsibilities of different formations because to be up there and challenging for the Champions League spaces and the European spaces like we want to do, you need to be able to be intelligent enough to flip into different formations during the game and know what's expected.

“I think Kasper [Schmeichel] made a really good save. I think he deserves a lot of credit because if you go 1-0 down it's a completely different game, and that's why he's a top goalkeeper, probably in the top three in the Premier league, for me.

“So, yes, really, really happy with that and the start to the game and the adaptation to the new formation. And it worked wonders for us in the end.”

Maddison’s second goal of the game was a wonderful, left-footed effort that gave Mat Ryan in the Brighton net no chance, and the Foxes No.10 pointed to the way one of his team-mates recovered possession in the build-up before the chance came his way.

“We actually won the ball in midfield,” Maddison recalled. “Wilfred Ndidi, [it's] really good to have him back, I feel safe when I'm in there with Wilf behind me. It's almost like he's two players, and what Wilf's improved on a lot, especially since I joined the Club, is his passing ability.

“It's improved a lot and [he] wins the ball back, and I remember, his first pass being forward to me. [A] forward, along-the-floor, hard pass and that's something that he's really improved on.

“And then we built [on that in] the game. Vards (Jamie Vardy) made a run in behind, came back to me and I remember being one vs. one. [I] shifted it on my right, got it back on my left, and I'm comfortable off my left.

“I feel just as confident shooting [with] my left as I do with my right, and it was one of them: I knew it was in straight away, so [I'm] really happy.”