Leicester City vs Newcastle Preview
- Newcastle to win
- Over 2.5 goals
Leicester City are on the brink of an instant return to the Championship following a 2-0 defeat to Manchester City in midweek.
With the Foxes sitting 12 points from safety ahead of the round, their Premier League survival hopes are all but extinguished, and the statistics surrounding their current run make for grim reading.
They now face a relentless Newcastle United, who are pushing hard to return to the UEFA Champions League next season.
With all of the top seven winning in midweek, Eddie Howe’s side must keep pace, and this fixture against a club seemingly resigned to relegation presents an ideal opportunity to do just that.
Leicester City: On the Verge of an Unwanted Record
Leicester’s return to the top flight has been catastrophic, with 14 defeats in 17 matches under Ruud van Nistelrooy.
The decision to sack Steve Cooper earlier in the season has not paid off, and the team is on the verge of making Premier League history for the wrong reasons.
They’ve now lost seven consecutive home league games without scoring, and no team in English league history has ever lost eight home matches in a row without finding the net.
The timing of this fixture offers little comfort, as Leicester have failed to score in their last four H2Hs with Newcastle, suggesting the unwanted record could very well be broken.
Newcastle United: Ruthless in the Race for Top Four
With their rivals all securing midweek victories, Newcastle remain two points behind fourth and have no room for error if they are to return to Europe’s top table. Facing a struggling and demoralised Leicester side, the Magpies will be fully focused on maximum points.
Newcastle boast a formidable record against newly-promoted sides, with 14 wins from their last 18 league games (D3, L1), including a run of six straight victories.
They are also strong away from home, with seven away wins this season, just one short of last season’s total under Eddie Howe — a campaign that ended in top-four qualification.
Head-to-Head & Key Stats
- Leicester have lost 7 consecutive home league games without scoring, an English football record is imminent (8)
- Leicester have failed to score in each of their last 4 league H2Hs against Newcastle
- Newcastle have won 14 of their last 18 league games vs newly-promoted sides (D3, L1)
- Newcastle are unbeaten in their last 6 away league games vs newly promoted teams
- Leicester have taken just 1 point from the last 51 available at home
Players to Watch
Jamie Vardy (Leicester)
If anyone is to end Leicester’s shocking home goal drought, it could be Vardy. However, his last three goals have all come after half-time, and he’s scored three of his last four against Newcastle in the second half. Patience will be required — from both him and the fans.
Alexander Isak (Newcastle)
Isak has been in scintillating form against struggling sides, netting eight goals in his last six league appearances against teams starting the day in the relegation zone.
Remarkably, five of those came in just his last two such matches, making him the biggest attacking threat heading into this game.
Prediction: Newcastle to Punish Leicester’s Plight
Leicester appear to be running on empty. The confidence, structure, and attacking edge are gone, and with relegation a near-certainty, motivation is dwindling.
Newcastle, by contrast, have everything to play for, and with momentum, form, and history on their side, they are unlikely to show mercy.
Unless Vardy can roll back the years with a moment of magic, it’s hard to see Leicester avoiding an eighth consecutive home defeat without scoring.
Predicted Score: Leicester City 0-3 Newcastle United
A professional and dominant performance from Newcastle keeps them firmly in the top-four hunt, while Leicester edge ever closer to the drop and potentially to an unwanted place in the history books.
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Leicester v Newcastle, 2024/25 | Premier League