Aaron Connolly sends this strong message to Neal Maupay after penalty miss at Leicester

The Ireland international was introduced as a second half substitute during the 2-1 victory against Arsenal at the Amex last Saturday.

It was his sublime first-time flick from fellow substitute Alexis Mac Allister's pass that teed-up Neal Maupay's late winner.

Connolly, 20, then made the starting XI last Tuesday at the King Power Stadium - it was his first start since the 1-1 draw against Aston Villa at the Amex back in January

The fit again striker looked back to his best having struggled recently with knee and ankle injuries.

His energy and clever movement caused numerous problems for the Leicester defence and it was his burst of pace that won Albion's first half penalty.

Connolly latched on to Aaron Mooy's pass and had too much speed and power for defender James Justin who lunged in and sent the Albion man tumbling to the ground.

Maupay, fresh from his match-winner against Arsenal, confidently stepped up but home keeper Kasper Schmeichel guessed correctly and denied Maupay his 10th Premier League goal of the season.

"It happens, people miss penalties all the time," said Connolly. Neal scores those chances nine times out of 10 and I'm sure he won't let it get to him.

“We’ve got a point and it’s a big one for us. He [Neal] was the match winner at the weekend, he missed the penalty tonight, but we know he will be back on it next Tuesday against Manchester United, and we’re looking forward to that game now.”

Four points from two matches after the restart is an encouraging return for Albion and eases some of the relegation tension.

Brighton are now six points above the drop zone but their next four matches will be crucial as they take on Manchester United, Norwich, Liverpool and Man City.

Man United and Liverpool were both hugely impressive yesterday as they swotted aside Sheffield United and Crystal Palace respectively.

Connolly however insists the win against Arsenal and a solid point at Champions League chasing Leicester will set them nicely for the challenges ahead.

“It gives us a lot of confidence, that’s four big points and come the end of the season that could keep us in the division," said the Irishman.

“That’s what we’ve been working towards during the lockdown period, our hard work over the last few months has definitely shown out on the field.

"We’re happy with the result [on Tuesday] and we probably could have got more had things gone a little differently on the night."

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