Leicester City have moved to the top of the Premier League table courtesy of a comprehensive 3-0 victory over a poor Newcastle United side.
Leicester had the majority of play throughout proceedings, but looked as though their efforts would go unrewarded in the first half.
That was until Jamie Vardy stepped up to fire past Rob Elliot and give the Foxes the lead in injury time. It would only get better for Claudio Ranieri’s men in the second half, with a headed goal from Leonardo Ulloa and a poacher’s strike from substitute Shinji Okazaki giving the Foxes yet another win in what has been a fantastic season.
Formations
The Magpies lined up as expected and unchanged from the side that defeated Bournemouth. Elliot started in goals, in front of him were Daryl Janmaat, Chancel Mbemba, Fabricio Coloccini and Paul Dummett. Across the midfield there was Moussa Sissoko and Georginio Wijnaldum on the wings, while Vurnon Anita and Cheick Tiote played in the heart of the midfield. Ayoze Perez and Aleksandr Mitrovic started up front, hoping to build on what has shown signs of a promising partnership.
Newcastle United XI (4-4-2): Elliot (GK); Janmaat, Mbemba, Coloccini, Dummett; Sissoko, Anita, Tiote, Wijnaldum; Perez, Mitrovic.
Claudio Ranieri made one change from the side that took care of Watford, with Ulloa coming in for Jeffrey Schlupp. This meant a formation reshuffle as Mahrez moved from the number 10 role to the wing. Marc Albrighton operated on the other side while Danny Drinkwater and N’Golo Kante continued their central-midfield partnership. The incoming Ulloa partnered Vardy upfront, while it was the usual back five of Kasper Schmeichel between the posts, with Danny Simpson, Wes Morgan, Robert Huth, and Christian Fuchs in front of him.
Leicester City XI (4-4-2): Schmeichel (GK); Simpson, Morgan, Huth, Fuchs; Mahrez, Kante, Drinkwater, Albrighton; Ulloa, Vardy.
Another fine performance from Vardy
Vardy has had a spectacular season and the match against Newcastle was no exception. However, he will remember this one very fondly as his goal meant that he has now equaled Ruud van Nistelrooy’s record of scoring in 10 consecutive Premier League games. While it has become a familiar sight seeing Vardy find the back of the net, he adds much more to this team than just goals. The England international never gave the Newcastle defenders more than three seconds on the ball before he was ferociously chasing them down, showing the amount of pressure that you only see from a man full confidence. Having a look at Vardy’s game by numbers, he had six shots, three take-ons, one chance created, one goal and one joint record – a very fine outing which even saw him applauded by Newcastle fans as he was substituted.
Mitrovic/Perez partnership fails to deliver
The strike force of Perez and Mitrovic has shown encouraging signs for Newcastle fans, but against Leicester, both strikers had a tough day at the office. Neither had a sight of goal, and of the 10 ariel duels contested with Leicester defenders, only one was won which equates to a disappointing record of 10% in that department. Neither had any meaningful impact, and both were substituted in the the second half.
Riyad Mahrez had Paul Dummett in his back pocket
One player Vardy can thank for his superb season is Riyad Mahrez, and The Algerian winger was once again in fine form against the Geordies. He completed 86% of his 37 attempted passes and assisted Ulloa in doubling the Foxes’ lead on the hour mark. One player who will be happy to see the back of Mahrez is Newcastle left-back Paul Dummett. The winger was running at Dummett all afternoon and got the better of the left-back on each occasion. His ability to easily change pace and cut onto his left side was something Dummett struggled with a great deal.
Florian Thauvin had minimal impact
Thauvin entered the fray earlier than expected, coming on after 20 minutes because of an injury to Cheick Tiote. The Frenchman is yet to have the desired impact on Tyneside, and his efforts against Leicester will only add to the pressure. As a winger, one thing you must be able to do is cross a ball. In this match he attempted 10 crosses – none of which were completed. Newcastle fans have the right to expect more from someone who cost £12 million.
Quiet day for Schmeichel
Aside from taking a few goal kicks and having the ball passed to him from his defenders, Leicester gloveman Kasper Schmeichel had a rather easy and relaxing afternoon. The Danish international was not required to make one save, one punch or one catch. Because of this, credit must be given to the back four, despite the fact that Newcastle’s attacking play was poor.
Conclusion
In summary, Leicester did nothing wrong, and Newcastle did nothing right. The Foxes are showing no signs of slowing down and their entertaining football is making them a must-watch for every neutral fan. On the other hand, Newcastle have an endless amount of work to do before they can even be worthy of stepping on the same pitch as Leicester. This was their worst performance of the season, and the pressure is now well and truly on Steve McClaren.
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