Newcastle United delivered another high-scoring display, dispatching a struggling Leicester City side whose season continues to spiral. The result propelled Eddie Howe’s team above Manchester City into fifth place, putting them level on points with fourth-placed Chelsea. Newcastle still holds a game in hand, adding to their growing hopes of securing a Champions League berth.
Leicester’s dismal run continued at King Power Stadium, where they recorded an eighth straight home league defeat without scoring – a record across all four divisions of English football. With only seven matches remaining, the Foxes remain 15 points adrift of safety and appear destined for the drop.
Early blitz stuns hosts
The visitors wasted no time in asserting dominance. Within two minutes of kick-off, Jacob Murphy tapped in from close range after Tino Livramento burst down the left flank to create the opening. Just minutes later, Murphy netted his second after Fabian Schar’s audacious strike from his own half rattled the crossbar – the winger reacting quickly to slot home the rebound.
Newcastle extended their lead before the half-hour mark. Joelinton danced past Wout Faes and forced Mads Hermansen into a save, but Harvey Barnes, once a Leicester player himself, was first to the loose ball and made it 3-0. The home supporters responded with audible frustration as their side’s goal drought extended past the 12-hour mark.
Leicester nearly found the net in bizarre fashion as Patson Daka’s shot struck both posts but somehow failed to cross the line, instead rolling into the grateful hands of Nick Pope. It was the closest the Foxes came to scoring.
Rotation and records in the second half
With the outcome seemingly settled before halftime, Howe opted to rest several starters ahead of their upcoming clash against Manchester United. Joelinton, Bruno Guimaraes, Jacob Murphy, and Alexander Isak were all withdrawn early in the second half as Newcastle eased off the intensity.
Leicester’s head coach, Ruud van Nistelrooy, used the final stages of the game to hand a debut to 15-year-old Jeremy Monga, who became the Premier League’s second-youngest player ever, just behind Arsenal’s Ethan Nwaneri.
The Foxes now prepare to face Brighton at the Amex Stadium on Saturday, hoping to halt a nine-game losing streak and score their first goal in over twelve hours of football.
