When Leicester had just gone 4-1 up, with victory on a wonderfully wild afternoon all but secured, no one would have blamed Marc Albrighton if he decided to mark the occasion with a joyous celebration. Instead the winger turned away from the goal where he had just scored, ran towards where his family were located and pointed both of his hands towards the sky. It was a poignant moment for Albrighton following a summer of personal tragedy.
The mother of his partner, Chloe, was among the 38 tourists killed in June’s terrorist attacks in Tunisia. Sue Davey was just 43 when she died alongside her own partner, Scott Chalkley, near the Imperial Marhaba Hotel and the weeks since have been harrowing for all those who knew them. For Albrighton it has been hard to focus on football but he returned to the day job on Saturday and, having scored, decided then was the moment to pay tribute.
“We have my girlfriend’s brother, Conor Fulford, living with us and he’s been getting into me saying you need a celebration, you need to do something for my mum,” Albrighton said. “Chloe’s also been saying that her mum’s been up there putting a few things right and she definitely helped me out there today. I can’t thank everyone enough for the way my family have been treated. The support we’ve had has been unbelievable. I wouldn’t wish what happened to us on anybody else and it makes you look at life in a different way. You think about what is and isn’t important. I’ll see my family now and they will be happy, which is the best thing in the world.”
Albrighton’s goal not only put the cap on an exhilarating Leicester performance but also a hugely encouraging one by the player himself. Stationed on the left of a four-man midfield, he was a constant outlet and assisted the opening two goals, with Jamie Vardy and Riyad Mahrez heading in two well delivered right-footed crosses.
That right foot was also to thank for Albrighton’s 66th-minute finish – alongside some poor Sunderland defending and a missed offside call by the referee’s assistant – and the feeling after this contest was that, alongside his team-mates, Albrighton is determined to maintain last season’s relegation-defying momentum. The winger was an important element of the escape, starting each of Leicester’s final eight games of the campaign, of which they won six, and proving that the potential he displayed after stepping up from Aston Villa’s youth academy into their first team in 2009 had not vanished.
That was certainly the feeling after he was released in May 2014 and struggled to make an impact at Leicester having joined them shortly after. But he eventually established himself in the first team and by the end of last season was being spoken of as someone who had “inspirational” qualities by the then manager, Nigel Pearson.
Pearson’s successor, Claudio Ranieri, stuck by the player and on Saturday’s evidence the decision was a wise one. “I have always said that, if I can get a run of games, then my performances will come,” said Albrighton.
It says much about Leicester’s performance here that Albrighton was not their standout performer. On the other flank Mahrez was outstanding, while Vardy played with his usual zest. Shinji Okazaki also caught the eye in the No10 role while in central midfield, Andy King and Danny Drinkwater played with a level of intensity and intelligence which suggests the loss of Esteban Cambiasso will not be as devastating as first assumed.
If it was dream start, then, for Ranieri, for Dick Advocaat here was a reminder of the gruelling challenges that come with being the Sunderland manager. Defensively they were a shambles yet again – and lucky to find themselves only 3-0 down at half-time – while in attack there was little urgency or nous. Jermain Defoe’s well-taken finish on the hour mark and Steven Fletcher’s header to make it 4-2 on 71 minutes were all the 3,000 away fans had to cheer about. “The whole team was not in the game, and that gives me a big concern,” said Advocaat. “I didn’t see any positives.”
