Leicester City made unwanted history as they became the first team in Football League history to suffer eight consecutive home defeats without scoring, as Newcastle United secured a commanding 3-0 victory at the King Power Stadium, further boosting their hopes of securing a Champions League spot.
Earlier in the day, Southampton, already relegated from the Premier League, parted ways with manager Ivan Juric amidst discussions that they may be the worst team the competition has ever seen. However, Leicester’s situation isn’t much better, and following this heavy loss, their inevitable return to the Championship seems all but confirmed. With just seven games left in the season, the task ahead for manager Ruud van Nistelrooy’s struggling side seems insurmountable, especially as they’ve now gone over 12 hours without scoring a goal in the Premier League.
The home fans were vocal in their frustration, chanting “you’re not fit to wear the shirt” when Jacob Murphy doubled Newcastle’s lead just 11 minutes into the game. Murphy was the only player to react when a long-range shot from Fabian Schar hit the bar, with Mads Hermansen caught out of position. This moment encapsulated Leicester’s lethargic defending, which was evident throughout the match. The issues were apparent early on when Murphy tapped in a cross from Tino Livramento just 1 minute and 53 seconds into the game, and again when Leicester defenders James Justin and Wout Faes failed to stop Joelinton from twisting and shooting before Harvey Barnes capitalized on the rebound. Barnes, who spent time at Leicester before, seemed a little awkward scoring in such an unconvincing manner against his former club.
Leicester’s misfortune continued in the first half, with Patson Daka hitting both posts with a shot before an offside flag came up, further emphasizing how things just weren’t going their way. This loss marks their 15th defeat in their last 16 Premier League matches, and with 11 home losses this season, a club record, their frustrated supporters made their dissatisfaction clear, with many heading for the exits by halftime.
The contrast between the two teams couldn’t have been starker. Newcastle’s dominant win, completed in a calm second half, propelled them into fifth place in the table, equal on points with fourth-placed Chelsea but with a game in hand over their rivals. The Magpies now look set to follow up their Carabao Cup triumph with a potential qualification for next season’s Champions League.
However, Newcastle’s remaining fixtures will likely present tougher challenges than this one.
