Recap
Leicester City suffered a heavy setback against Newcastle United, losing by four goals to nil at St. James’ Park on Saturday afternoon. Jacob Murphy scored from a corner to give the hosts the advantage at the break. Goals from Bruno Guimaraes, Alexander Isak, and Murphy scored for the Magpies in the second half to complete the rout.
Sometimes the scoreline is misleading. This was not one of those times. City were second best all afternoon, and that was only because there were only two participants. The hosts had 27 shots, 11 of which were on goal, and almost 60 touches in the Leicester box. Leicester managed only 4 shots and only got 1 on target.
The absence of our top 3 central midfielders obviously played a part. The Foxes couldn’t get the ball out of defence and, with Dan Burn lurking, balls over the top weren’t going to be a terribly fruitful approach. That’s not an excuse, but Oliver Skipp and especially Hamza Choudhury weren’t able to move the ball forward, which made for a long afternoon.
Did anyone have a particularly good match? Hermansen I suppose, but honestly, we were over-matched in all of the individual battles and didn’t compete in a way that would get a result against a Championship side. There’s nothing good to take from this other than maybe a dose of realism.
The day wasn’t a complete loss as the women did great work today.
3 Takeaways
If he wasn’t already aware, Ruud van Nistelrooy surely must have a sense of the task he’s signed up for. This club is in a relegation scrap because that’s who we are right now.
Kasey McAteer looks like he can play at this level. He’s quick enough and he’s got a good head for football. I’m glad we kept him.
I understand why that, given our other problems, it’s nit-picking, but we are so, so poor at set pieces and throw-ins. Seems like a little attention to these aspects of the match would pay dividends.
Leicester City: Mads Hermansen (Danny Ward 46’), James Justin, Conor Coady, Jannik Vestergaard, Victor Kristiansen, Hamza Choudhury (Caleb Okoli 59’), Oliver Skipp, Kasey McAteer, Bilal El Khannouss (Bobby De Cordova-Reid, Stephy Mavididi (Facundo Buonanotte 59’), Jamie Vardy (Patson Daka 59’) (C)
Newcastle United: Martin Dubravka, Valentino Livramento, Fabian Schar, Dan Burn, Lewis Hall, Sandro Tonali, Bruno Guimaraes, Joelinton, Jacob Murphy, Anthony Gordon, Alexander Isak
The defeat leaves us on 14 points from 16 matches. We’re still 16th on the table, so that’s good, but we’re only 2 points off the relegation zone. We host Wolves next Sunday in a dreaded true 6-pointer. After that, we kick off the festive period programme with a Boxing Day visit to Anfield to face Liverpool.
Key Moments and Notes
1’- No Harry Winks, Wilfred Ndidi, or Boubakary in the side today, so the central midfield is comprised of Oliver Skipp and Hamza Choudhury. Academy player Henry Cartwright is on the bench for the Foxes.
4’- El Khannouss plays a ball over the top for McAteer to chase. He wins the race and fires in a low cross that Schar intercepts at full stretch to deny Vardy a certain tap-in.
8’- Close! Gordon dribbles cuts in from the wing and dribbles through half the City defence. He takes a pop from just inside the area and it requires a brilliant save from Hermansen to turn it over.
14’- It’s all Newcastle right now. A goal is coming if Leicester can’t get a grip on it.
20’- Isak makes a brilliant run through the Leicester defence and lays it off for Murphy. He’s fouled at the end of it but the referee plays advantage. Murphy curls it just wide and..the ref calls it back for the free kick? That’s unusual.
27’- Isak and Murphy have huge chances but they can’t get the ball through the defence and on target both. The Foxes are very fortunate to be level. Choudhury took one of the shots in the face and has to get treatment.
30’- GOAL! The Magpies win a corner and they play a brilliant routine. A short corner finds Gordon running into the box in space. He cuts it back for Murphy just inside the area and he has all day to place it in the corner.
We might want to reconsider our defensive scheme, huh?
37’- Close! Isak is behind the entire Leicester defence but he can’t be Hermansen one-on-one. It was more a “poor effort” than a “great save.”
38’- Guimaraes is very fortunate not to go into the book for diving into Vestergaard and rolling around like he was shot.
39’- Guimaraes is very fortunate to still be on the pitch. He dives in on Mavididi and gets the wingers with his studs above the ankle. He sees yellow and VAR is satisfied that this is sufficient. If he’d seen yellow for the dive...
44’- Nice little spell of possession from the Foxes. Nothing remotely close to a chance so far, but El Khannouss wins a corner. That’s it for the first half. The Foxes are fortunate to trail by a single goal.
46’- Danny Ward is in goal to start the second half. That bodes ill.
47’- GOAL! The Foxes look like they’ve never defended a set piece before. El Khannouss gives up a free kick. It’s delivered to Hall, who is completely unmarked at the far post. He heads it back across the face of the goal and finds Guimaraes, who nods it home from close range.
50’- GOAL! Newcastle tear down the flank and it’s Gordon and Hall combining again. The cross is deflected by Coady directly to Isak who taps it into the net. 3-0 to the hosts.
Newcastle United FC v Leicester City FC - Premier League Photo by George Wood/Getty Images
52’- Close! Isak goes through the defence like it’s not even there and finds Murphy in space. Ward tips it over, but the referee gives a goal kick.
54’- Nice movement by McAteer results in the winger cutting inside and testing Dubravka from distance. It’s an easy take, but it’s City’s first shot on target as well.
59’- A triple change for the Foxes. Patson Daka, Caleb Okoli, and Facundo Buonanotte are on for Vardy, Choudhury, and Mavididi.
60’- GOAL! Gordon finds Isak, who turns Vestergaard inside out. He squares it for the unmarked Murphy on the right. He nutmegs Ward to put the match out of...oh, who am I kidding? This might have been out of reach at 2-0.
Newcastle United FC v Leicester City FC - Premier League Photo by James Gill - Danehouse/Getty Images
72’- Things have settled into a chaotic mess without much goalmouth actions which is, all things considered, an improvement. Leicester supporters are starting to head for the exists and it’s hard to blame them.
82’- Bobby De Cordova-Reid is on for El Khannouss.
84’- Substitute Sean Longstaff goes into Buonanotte with studs up on both feet, sending the Argentine to the floor. The commentator says “There’s nothing in that.”
87’- Harvey Barnes has been bright since coming on as a substitute. That would have been good news 3 years ago.
90+5’- Okoli scythes down Willock and picks up a yellow at the death. It was a nasty challenge and it could have been a red.