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Last Season
SJP
Unlikely Lads
Leicester City (a) Premier League
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Date: Monday 7th April 2025, 8pm Live on Sky Sports Venue: King Power Stadium
Conditions: Crisp |
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Leicester City |
Newcastle |
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0 - 3 |
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| Half time: | 0 - 3 | |
| Score Sheet: | ||
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J.Murphy (2)  J.Murphy (11) Barnes (34)
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Teams |
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Hermansen |
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Pope Livramento Trippier Schar Burn Joelinton Tonali Guimaraes J.Murphy Barnes Isak |
| Substitutes: | ||
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(46)
Mavididi for Kristiansen (46) Buonanotte for Daka (74) Ricardo Pereira for Justin (74) Monga for El Khannouss |
Miley for Tonali (65) Longstaff for Guimaraes (65) Osula for J.Murphy (72) Wilson for Isak (72) Krafth for Trippier (87) |
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| Subs not used: | ||
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J.Ayew De Cordova-Reid Okoli Skipp Stolarczyk |
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Dubravka Targett Ruddy Neave |
| Bookings: | ||
Ndidi
Justin
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None
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| Dismissals: | ||
| None | None | |
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Referee: Rob
Jones - a second Newcastle appointment of the season for the Merseysider,
following the 2-1 PL home victory over Spurs back in September. Quite what went on with him and his VAR pal after the break is unclear; a succession of seemingly obvious fouls by Leicester players ignored and several apparently random blasts on his whistle signalling free kicks given for offences by the visitors quite invisible to the human eye. The biggest talking point though came in the last 10 minutes when Stephy Mavididi took out Sandro Tonali with an obvious two-footed challenge. Jones gave a free kick as the stricken player received treatment, but neither he nor Chilowicz seemed interested in the lunge that left Tonali sprawled on the turf; showing far more tolerance than he had when cautioning Wilfrid Ndidi after 14 minutes. VAR: Alex Chilowicz |
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Attendance:
30,403 including 3,263 away fans. Given that the claimed
current capacity is 32,259 then that total attendance looked to be
based on tickets sold than clicks through the turnstiles.
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Goals |
2 mins Bruno Guimaraes picked the ball
up on the United right and rode a cursory challenge as he pushed over the
halfway line before finding the unattended Joelinton in the centre circle. He
sent a pass bouncing out to the advancing Harvey Barnes, who hesitated in
possession before releasing the overlapping Tino Livramento.
From inside the City area the full back sent a left-footed pass looping across
the six yard box, sitting up nicely for Jacob Murphy to fire home a
first-time shot from beyond the back post. 1-0
11 mins David Beckham
against Wimbledon, Xabi Alonso against Newcastle and almost Fabian Schar*
against Leicester City, as the Swiss defender dispossessed Vardy in the United
half before striding into the centre circle. Spotting the home goalkeeper
off his line and launched a right-footed shot goalbound over his head without
further ado.
What looked like a certain goal from the opposite end of the ground ended up
smacking off the centre of the crossbar, Jacob Murphy arriving before a
pair of home defenders and taking a touch almost level with the penalty spot as
Hermansen scrambled to his feet. Moving towards goal, Murphy then steered in a
rising right-footed effort from six yards to the goalkeeper's left 2-0.
* Schar did successfully net from inside his own half for former club Wil
back in October 2011.
34 mins A misplaced pass across the
Newcastle box was collected by Harvey Barnes, who surged upfield shadowed
by James Justin and began to go right once over halfway. Making a run towards
the other flank was Alexander Isak, who collected a pass with Conor Coady
between him and the goal.
United's top scorer moved infield as he reached the edge of the City area and
saw his shot clip the boot of Wout Faes, bouncing up for Justin to weakly head
clear into the path of Joelinton. The Newcastle man took the ball in his stride
and feinted inside Faes before firing goalwards.
Hermansen got down low to his left and blocked the shot but was powerless to
prevent Barnes from providing a first-time finish with a low right-footed effort
from six yards. The scorer accepted the congratulations of his current
colleagues but made no other visible signs of celebration. 3-0
Half time: Foxes 0 Magpies 3
Full time: Foxes 0 Magpies 3
We Said |
"Really pleased. A massive win for us. We knew it wasn't going to be easy. We started really well and that gave us the foundation to go and win.
"It was a great start to the game for us. It was a brilliant first goal, brilliant execution of how we want to play. We stuck to our task. We were professional and it was really good to get a clean sheet and three goals."
On continuing to perform in the league post-Wembley:
"That was a big question mark against us, really. How do we react to that big high that we had? To be fair to the players, they’ve responded magnificently to that. Two tough Premier League games, two massive wins, a real sort of tick in the box for our psychology and how we approach the games.
"Early season there were games where we were frustrated by our output, by the effort. It was uncharacteristic. That had never happened before in my time here. But now we’re in a good place.
"We look united. We have a purpose and we’re trying to get there.
We’re where we need to be. Confidence is high at the moment, but there are
areas we need to improve.
"I don't think we were at our very best today if I'm honest, but I thought
we did enough, WE scored some really good goals early in the game.
"We'd have liked to perform better in the second half - it became a bit
bitty,
"Impressive, but really professional as well in terms of the way that the
players took the game. We stuck to our task, we were professional, really good
to get a clean sheet, and three goals."
On his side's chances of CL qualification:
"It's going to hot up. The next week for us is a big week. We have three
really tough games and that will go a long way in seeing where we are at the end
of the season.
"Now we need a sort of a reset again because we’ve got three games coming
up in six days, a really big test for us. Potentially three tougher games as
well, so I think we’re going to need to refocus again and potentially have an
upturn in performance again if we want to win those games.
"I don’t see complacency as an issue. I think the players are
experienced.
"We haven’t got a youthful group. We’ve got a lot of players that have
been through various situations in their careers. I don’t think we take
anything for granted.”
"Three games in six days is going to be a big test for us. We’re going to
need everybody. The squad is still stretched. We tried to manage the squad today
with the game in a good position.”
On the luxury of resting players by withdrawing them in game:
"Recognising the fact that Joelinton's on nine yellows and we need to make
sure that he's available for the next game if we can.
"Alex(ander) (Isak) has had this groin problem, he's 100% fit today
and didn't feel it during the game but still it was a good chance to make sure
he's ready for the next game: it's very rare you're in a position to be able to
do that."
On Harvey Barnes:
"Really pleased for Harvey, I think he's always been a goal scorer he was
in the right place at the right time. He's played very well in recent weeks and
we're delighted with his return to the team and what he's given us."
They Said |
After City matched a club record run of eight league losses and set an all-time EFL and PL record of eight consecutive home defeats without scoring, Ruud van Nistelrooy said:
"The most important thing is the club and these players, that’s what I would say for now.
"The most important thing is the club
and the players, that is my reaction.
"What I want to say is that it’s very disappointing. If I speak for
myself, coming here with the intent to bring the club forward. So far it
didn’t work.
"I tried different things, different players, different structures, without results. That’s what I can say about how I feel at this moment.
"It’s clear what the most important
thing, it’s this club and what’s best for this club and that’s also what
we need to discuss.
"It’s about tonight for me and the run of form we’re in, the position
we’re in, and that’s it for tonight for me to react to.
"I think for now it’s been such a bad run of games, not getting results and not scoring goals for me it’s time to recover from this first before I can say anything else."
Stats |
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Magpies @ Foxes - PL era: 2024/25 won 3-0 Murphy 2, Barnes (At Filbert Street until 2001/02 then at Walkers/King Power Stadium) NUFC Monday night PL away games*: Oct 2011 Stoke City (a) won 3-1 Monga wore squad number 93 and was clad in a shirt devoid of chest
advertising due to Leicester having a betting company as their shirt
sponsor.
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Waffle |
A third successive Premier League win
for Newcastle saw them regain fifth spot on Monday evening, drawing level
with Chelsea on points and having a game in hand on the fourth-placed Blues.
As he had done against the Foxes on Tyneside in December, Jacob Murphy set
United on their way with the opening goal, knocking Tino Livramento's low
centre home within the first two minutes.
Murphy was then in the right place again nine minutes later to put an
unchanged Magpies side 2-0 up; converting the loose ball after Fabian
Schar's audacious attempt to lob goalkeeper Mads Hermansen from just inside
the Newcastle half struck the crossbar and bounced out.
Harvey Barnes then netted from close range after Joelinton's shot was
blocked by Hermansen in the 34th minute; the former Fox opting not to
celebrate the goal that prompted crowds of disconsolate home followers to
leave their seats. Other City fans applauded him, presumably as it was the
nearest they'd come to actually scoring a home league goal in over four
months.
Starting the game despite a swirl of internet rumours that claimed he hadn't
travelled, Newcastle's top scorer Alexander Isak twice looked a likely
scorer but fired wide on both occasions. The efforts of others though meant
that he didn't need to score tonight, in the same way that Joelinton looked
to have been dissuaded from tackling in order to extend his
card-free run of PL games to three. Dan Burn meanwhile showed great restraint
in not clattering Vardy for old time's sake.
An incredibly one-sided opening period ended with United three up - matching
the magnitude of their interval advantage in last season's 8-0 win at
Sheffield United and prompting speculation as to whether a repeat of that
Bramall Lane goalfest might be on the cards.
As was the case here on our visit though, Eddie Howe's side declared at
three and the second period became increasingly incoherent as players were
withdrawn to protect them and multiple arrivals from the bench confused the
issue to such as extent that the hosts looked set to break their goal duck.
Visiting substitute William Osula and Barnes both blasted over following
isolated moments of clarity, but Ruud van Nistelrooy's side barely
threatened Nick Pope's goal. Veteran Jamie Vardy had tested the goalkeeper
straight from the first whistle, but other than that offered as little as
the rest of his beleaguered colleagues, who were also collectively
uninterested in tackling (other than Mavididi...)
It goes without saying that similar time-marking won't get us very far at
our remaining trio of far trickier away games, but this side have proved
this season that they can fight to the last breath when the need arises -
The Athletic's number-crunching confirming no top-flight side has lost less
points this season once ahead. Like the cup success, this squad are changing
our perceptions.
If there is a worry it's that injury and suspension and the limitations of
the squad may finally catch up with us in the closing weeks of the season,
but we've faced similar issues before and seen the likes of Livramento,
Trippier, Murphy and Barnes step up when the need arises.
A six day period that begins with the visit of
Manchester United ends at Villa Park, with the midweek home game against
Crystal Palace postponed due to our Wembley adventure slotted in between. A
greater level of clarity as to what lies in store next season should follow
that little lot, with a boost coming on Tuesday when Arsenal's exploits
ensured a fifth Champions League place opened up.