Newcastle dominate as Magpies maul the Foxes at the King Power
Leicester City 2-4 Newcastle United
Rout.
Newcastle United would take a deserved early lead tonight when Joe Willock seized on a mistake from a shaky Leicester defence to side foot past a helpless Casper Schmeichel.
And that goal would be built on further when a Matt Ritchie corner would be powerfully nodded home in the 35th minute to give the Magpies some real hope of taking the points from this one.
And whilst the home side would start the sharper of the second half a brace from Callum Wilson would fire United to a deserved 4-0 lead.
Two consolation goals, and that's really all they were, with two stunners from Albrighton and Iheanacho would give the Foxes something to be excited about with 10 minutes left. But there was no way back for the FA Cup Finalists.
United deserved winners.
After a reasonably cagey opening period the it would be the visitors who would start to turn the screw.
First Fernandez would head just wide from a Shelvey free kick, before Allan Saint-Maximin would miss a wonderful opportunity to give the visitors the lead when a cross from Wilson gave the Frenchman a guilt edged chance to finish a one on one from just six yards out. Casper taking a leaf out of his dads book to star jump in front of the strike and seeing his left heel deflect the ball just wide.
On 22 minutes United were ahead however. Soyuncu, having already made a foul on the edge of the box that almost gave Newcastle United a penalty, and having lost Wilson on a number of occasions, inexplicably tried to turn in the centre back position 30 yards from his own goal only to lay the ball into the path of Joe Willock. Willock would race clear and, whilst his shot across goal was not the sweetest he's ever struck, the ball would nestle into Schmeichel's goal.
A Dubravka save at point blank save would come to United's rescue moments later. But in truth the Magpies were good value for their lead.
Steve Bruce's side were on top. Winning their battles across the pitch. And when Matt Ritchie floated in another cross on 35 minutes it would be the head of Paul Dummett who would give United a real cushion. A great header. A deserved 2-0 lead.
Only Manchester United had rescued more points from losing positions this season and this was now a real test of character for the home side.
Some sloppy play would gift the home side a chance to strike back moments after Dummett's powering header. Iheanacho could only hit his powerful shot straight at Dubravka once more.
Dubravka would be called into action a minute before half time to stop Leicester's best chance of the game. A ball to Vardy would allow the retired England striker to nick the ball over his marker and then try a lob over the the Newcastle stopper. But the big man between the stick seemed to have anticipated the lob and was already airborne to palm the attempt away.
Leicester City had to come out sharper in the second half if they were to keep alive their Champions League dream.
Whatever had been said at half time certainly seemed to stir the home side into action. A Maddison free kick deflected just wide would then see Ndidi head inches wide in the early stages of the second period.
Newcastle mustn't sit too deep of this was going to be a long 45 minutes.
The intensity that had been shown by Steve Bruce's men in the first half was now very much with the Rogers team however with never a truer statement that 'the next goal would be crucial'.
The sight of Ayoze Perez as a 63minutes substitute to replace a defensive midfield player in Ndidi would show even more of the home side's desire to force the pace. United sitting ever deeper.
Could United now expose them at the back.
You're damn right they could.
A wonderful long ball from the left back position by Matt Ritchie into the path of Callum Wilson would be half hit towards his own goalkeeper by Castagne. Wilson was on to the under-hit back pass in a clash however, rounding the keeper before firing home.
3-0 and surely game over.
Naaaa. Not for United anyway.
Almiron to Wilson, with a stunning ball to see the striker clean through, would first see Callum hit the inside of the keepers left hand post before slipping home an equaliser with his left foot from the tightest of angles.
Scenes!!!
A stunner from Albrighton and an equally fantastic finish from Iheanacho, both in the final 10 minutes would give the Magpies their customary jitters when a game should have been a cruise to the finish line. But that would be that.
Match FACTFILE
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