Albion are expecting a more physical test today than was the case against Manchester City.

But it might not get quite as rough and ready as their only top-flight fixture at Leicester to date.

That was on Boxing Day, 1980, in a relegation four-pointer, when John Gregory’s 57th-minute winner proved a key result.

The Seagulls staged a great escape on a par with that pulled off by the Foxes three seasons ago to preserve their top-flight status.

They stayed up at the expense of Norwich, Leicester and the cast-adrift bottom side Crystal Palace.

But, a bit like Leicester under Nigel Pearson, survival was not just about a winning finale.

Leicester plundered precious points in the opening matches of 2014-15.

And Albion could ultimately look back at a sequence of four wins out of five in December as a big reason for their survival.

During that time they beat would-be champions Aston Villa, lost 4-3 at Everton and had two-point hauls against fellow strugglers Sunderland, Leicester and Palace, the last two of those on successive afternoons at Christmas.

Mark Lawrenson was among those in the wars before 19,750 at Filbert Street.

The Albion defender was accidentally caught in the face by home full-back Kevin McDonald just before half-time and had to be stretchered off.

These days that would have been the end of his afternoon.

Back then, he was revived in the changing room and rejoined the action in the second period complaining of no more than a headache.

In fact, Gordon Smith, Albion’s only substitute that day, remained unused.

Graham Moseley and Andy Ritchie played in the game thanks to painkillers.

And it all got very rough late on when Paul Clark scythed down Andy Peake with what Argus reporter John Vinicombe described as an “horrific” tackle.

Peake got up and shaped to throw a punch before others got there quickly enough to discourage him.

Clark was booked when Vinicombe felt he could have been sent –off – even in those more tolerant days.

Vinners wrote: “Alan Mullery has called for total commitment and Clark is supplying that as best he knows how.”

Clark, affectionately known as Tank, was called into the side during that winning run and added some steel.

But there was more than that to Clark. He also played a key part back at sweeper in that pre-interval period when Lawrenson was temporarily out for the count.

Michael Robinson’s know-how in attack played a big part in the only goal. He combined with Ritchie, shielded the ball from a defender and whipped in a low cross.

The ball came off a Leicester man and right-back Gregory was on hand to score the third of his seven goals that season.

Leicester: Wallington; MacDonald, O’Neill, Scott, Gibson; Williams, Peake, Goodwin (Webb), Wilson; Melrose, Young.

Albion: Moseley; Gregory, Foster, Lawrenson, Stevens; Horton, McNab, Clark; O’Sullivan, Robinson, Ritchie.