Leicester boss Brendan Rodgers was full of praise for Albion midfielder Yves Bissouma ahead of their clash at the Amex tomorrow afternoon (2pm).
The 25-year-old joined the Seagulls from the Lille in July 2018 and has established him over the last few years as one of the first names on the teamsheet and an integral part of Albion’s midfield.
That is shown by the fact he has missed two of their last 42 Premier League games, with one of those being due to suspension.
Bissouma brought up his 100th appearance for Albion in their 1-0 win over Brentford last Saturday.
His performance over the last year-and-a-half had seen him linked with a move to top Prem sides over the summer but he was still part of the Seagulls squad after the window closes.
Leicester have been know for having great defensive midfielders at the club in recent years in N’Golo Kante, Esteban Cambiasso and in the last four seasons Wilfred Ndidi has done a superb job to fill the void of Kante when he left to join Chelsea.
But as Rodgers prepares his Leicester side for their visit to the Amex tomorrow, he was full of praise for Bissouma and believes he is a class defensive midfielder.
He said: “I think he is a top player he does a great job defensively, he can press the game, he is aggressive, he intercepts, he blocks, he tries to get them on the front foot.
“Physically he has good physicality, he gets around the pitch, he is mobile, agile and tactically he looks strong around the game.
“He utilises empty space and technically he is very good, he touches the ball, he passes it, and has good awareness of space.
“So, I said when I first saw him come into the team I really liked him and since then he has developed and improved and is a top-class player in that area of the field.”
Bissouma himself believes he is the best midfielders in the Premier League.
Read more: Brighton's Yves Bissouma believes he is the best midfielder in the Premier League
Rodgers was also full of praise for the job Graham Potter has done at Albion
In his two seasons so far at the club, he has guided them to 15th and 16th place finishes in the Premier League.
He has also brought a more entertaining and exciting brand of football to Albion.
However, this season that entertaining brand of football has got them off to a flying start as they have won three of their first four Premier League matches and sit sixth in the table.
The pair have taken similar paths on their way to getting a job in the Prem, with both having successful spells at Swansea.
But Rodgers is a huge admirer of his Potter’s work.
He said: “I have a big admiration for his work, I think when Chris was there he did a fantastic job in a different way there is no right or wrong way to do it.
“Of course, when you come one of the biggest things you have to do as a manager is convince the players to play how you want to play and he has been able to do that.
“Brighton is a club that even going back to when Gus Poyet was in charge they work very well.
“He has implemented his style well and I am a big admirer of the work he has done.
“And he has done an excellent job and it is always a tough game when we play against them.”
Leicester could be without Johnny Evans who is a doubt for the game, while Ayoze Perez is suspended and James Justin and Wesley Fofana are the long term absentees.
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