Sublime Alexis Mac Allister has Brighton dreaming of Europe despite a VAR farce against woeful Leicester

Nigerian international Kelechi Iheanacho slotted home for the visitors after Solly March was dispossessed halfway inside the Albion half.

Nine minutes later, Solly March made amends as his header from a Leandro Trossard cross was deflected in by City’s Luke Thomas.

Five minutes later Enoch Mwepu surged forward before slipping it to Moises Caciedo for a sublime finish, the horrors of 53 seconds well and truly exorcised.

Or were they?

A good old fashioned hoof on 33 minutes saw City’s Patson Daka beat Lewis Dunk to the chase and the visitors were back on level terms.

2-2 at the break, a great game for the neutrals, but polar opposite emotions for the Albion faithful.

In the 47th minute the Albion crowd were treated to the possibly the greatest Amex goal that never was. An Alex McCallister thunderbolt from outside the box was originally given by referee Tony Harrington, before VAR then took in excess of three minutes before Harrington reversed his original decision, after consultation with VAR official Christopher Kavanagh, the seven minutes added time partly testament to this.

After the farcical scenes concerning VAR at Villa Park 24 hours before, how long will it be before prolonged VAR deliberation effectively start a riot?

The crowd get it that the goal was chalked off by way of an offside infringement, but stopping a game for over three minutes to reach that decision – VAR is supposed to simplify the game, not complicate it.

However, the humdinger in the sun didn’t take long to provide the 31,185 crowd with another goal, again in the hosts’ favour, when Leandro Trossard cooly finished after being put through by the ever-influential Pascal Gross on 63 minutes.

It was Trossard again in the thick of the action on 70 minutes, when he was brought down inside the box by Wilfred Ndidi, MacAllister making no mistake with the spot kick, small consolation for his non wonder goal.

Poetic justice then perhaps as a sublime free kick by MacAllister in the final minute of the 97, completed the comfortable victory, and maybe fans went actually not worrying about the aforementioned (non) wonder strike?

One down inside a minute, pegged back by a ‘hump bump and thump’ equaliser, enduring the ongoing farce that is VAR, the Albion pulled away against relatively poor opposition to retain fourth place.

After midweek defeat at Fulham, despite it only being early season, it’s clearly apparent that they key to the European dream staying alive is a fit Danny Welbeck, as the Albion look a different outfit without him.