Match ends, Leicester City 1, Newcastle United 2.
LeicesterLeicester City1NewcastleNewcastle United2
Newcastle United manager Rafael Benitez says his side are "nearly" safe from relegation after goals from Jonjo Shelvey and Ayoze Perez guided his side to victory at Leicester City - their third Premier League win in a row.
"We are closer [to safety]," said Benitez. "But we have to carry on."
The Magpies started the brighter at the King Power, and Shelvey's guided shot from outside the area opened the scoring after a deflection off Ben Chilwell.
Leicester felt they should have had a penalty before the break when Paul Dummett and Riyad Mahrez appeared to collide in the box.
But Spaniard Perez doubled the lead for Rafael Benitez's side 15 minutes from time with a delightful lob over Kasper Schmeichel.
Jamie Vardy grabbed a late goal from close range, but it proved to be only a consolation for the hosts.
Earlier, Harry Maguire appeared fortunate to remain on the pitch after putting his hands on the face of Newcastle's Dwight Gayle, but the England man was shown only a yellow card by referee Stuart Attwell.
Newcastle's victory, which followed back-to-back home wins against Southampton and Huddersfield, takes the Magpies up to 10th in the Premier League, 10 points clear of the bottom three.
However, this result, coupled with Burnley's win at Watford, was damaging for Leicester's hopes of qualifying for European competition in 2018-19. The Clarets have now opened up a six-point lead over the Foxes in seventh.
Leicester lose momentum
Defeat at the hands of Newcastle has put Leicester's season at risk of fizzling out.
Unless Southampton win the FA Cup, the seventh-placed team will qualify for the next season's Europa League.
With just six games to play, the Foxes' visit to Burnley in a week's time will be seen as a must win in order to keep pace with the Lancashire side.
No football supporter will need reminding that it is just two years since the Foxes became Premier League champions.
And the carrot of Europa League football might be needed to provide manager Claude Puel with a bargaining chip when it comes to summer recruitment.
Magpies erase relegation fears
Three straight wins for Benitez's side have turned a scrap to stay in the top flight into a concerted drive into the top half.
The Magpies have lost just two league games since the turn of the year - and those defeats came at free-scoring Manchester City and Liverpool.
Had it not been for Vardy's late goal, the 2017 Championship winners would have kept a third straight clean sheet.
For the most part, it has been a season of uncertainty for the north-east club off the pitch, with owner Mike Ashley having put them up for sale in October before talks over a potential £250m sale collapsed.
But on it they seem to have found direction and, with their relegation fears now all but erased, freedom to play.
Man of the match - Ayoze Perez (Newcastle)
'We have to carry on' - what they said
Leicester manager Claude Puel: "It was not enough today. We wasted a fantastic opportunity for this team to believe in themselves. It was not enough in the first half, it was better in the second half with our reaction, but it's a shame. We will discuss together.
"We know when we play sometimes like today against a team with a strong defensive unit, we have to play quickly and with quality. It was too slow. We believe in ourselves to come back with a good mentality, hard work in training and prepare for our next game with a good feeling."
On Riyad Mahrez's penalty appeal: "Yeah, he [Paul Dummet] touched his foot, for me it is a penalty."
Newcastle manager Rafael Benitez: "It was amazing, the effort of the players, the way they were working, creating chances and the connection with the fans, who were amazing too.
"Leicester are always dangerous, they have the players who can hurt you, but we had three or four counter attacks where we could have done better. You cannot complain. We are closer [to safety] but we have to carry on. Nearly, but we have to carry on."
On whether Harry Maguire should have been sent off: "I have had players sent off just for touching the face of a player. I cannot argue too much. And the main thing for us was the performance of the team, we deserved to win."
Shelvey ends long wait for Premier League goal - the stats
- Newcastle recorded their first victory at the King Power Stadium in all competitions, having previously lost three and drawn two.
- It was a first defeat for Leicester in seven home Premier League games, since a 3-0 defeat by Crystal Palace in December (won two, drawn four).
- Newcastle have won three consecutive Premier League games for the first time since September.
- Ayoze Perez both scored and assisted in a single Premier League game for just the third time in his career and first time since October 2015 v Norwich.
- Jonjo Shelvey scored his first Premier League goal in 868 days, with that strike also his first for Newcastle in the top flight (39 appearances).
- Jamie Vardy has scored in seven of his last nine Premier League appearances.
What's next?
Leicester's next fixture is a Premier League trip to Burnley on Saturday, 14 April (15:00 BST).
A day later, Newcastle host Arsenal at St James' Park in the Sunday lunchtime kick-off (13:30 BST).
Line-ups
Leicester
Formation 4-2-3-1
- 1Schmeichel
- 2SimpsonSubstituted forOkazakiat 57'minutes
- 5Morgan
- 15MaguireBooked at 21mins
- 3Chilwell
- 14Adrien Silva
- 21IborraSubstituted forChoudhuryat 42'minutes
- 26Mahrez
- 33DiabatéSubstituted forGrayat 76'minutes
- 11Albrighton
- 9Vardy
Substitutes
- 7Gray
- 8Iheanacho
- 16Dragovic
- 17Jakupovic
- 20Okazaki
- 28Fuchs
- 38Choudhury
Newcastle
Formation 4-4-1-1
- 12Dubravka
- 22Yedlin
- 6LascellesBooked at 21mins
- 20Lejeune
- 3Dummett
- 11RitchieBooked at 55mins
- 10DiaméSubstituted forHaydenat 81'minutes
- 8Shelvey
- 15KenedySubstituted forAtsuat 64'minutes
- 17Pérez
- 9GayleBooked at 52minsSubstituted forJoseluat 70'minutes
Substitutes
- 2Clark
- 14Hayden
- 19Manquillo
- 21Joselu
- 23Merino
- 26Darlow
- 30Atsu
- Referee:
- Stuart Attwell
- Attendance:
- 32,066
Match Stats
Home TeamLeicesterAway TeamNewcastle
- Possession
- Home66%
- Away34%
- Shots
- Home8
- Away8
- Shots on Target
- Home1
- Away4
- Corners
- Home7
- Away5
- Fouls
- Home7
- Away14
Live Text
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Full Time
Second Half ends, Leicester City 1, Newcastle United 2.
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Foul by Shinji Okazaki (Leicester City).
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Isaac Hayden (Newcastle United) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
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Foul by Ben Chilwell (Leicester City).
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Joselu (Newcastle United) wins a free kick on the right wing.
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Foul by Ben Chilwell (Leicester City).
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Joselu (Newcastle United) wins a free kick on the right wing.
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Attempt missed. Matt Ritchie (Newcastle United) left footed shot from outside the box is close, but misses to the right. Assisted by Jonjo Shelvey.
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Offside, Leicester City. Kasper Schmeichel tries a through ball, but Riyad Mahrez is caught offside.
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Corner, Newcastle United. Conceded by Hamza Choudhury.
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Harry Maguire (Leicester City) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
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Foul by Matt Ritchie (Newcastle United).
Goal!
Goal! Leicester City 1, Newcastle United 2. Jamie Vardy (Leicester City) left footed shot from very close range to the bottom left corner. Assisted by Shinji Okazaki with a headed pass.
Substitution
Substitution, Newcastle United. Isaac Hayden replaces Mohamed Diamé.
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Attempt missed. Wes Morgan (Leicester City) header from the centre of the box misses to the left. Assisted by Demarai Gray with a cross following a corner.
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Corner, Leicester City. Conceded by Jamaal Lascelles.
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Offside, Newcastle United. Jonjo Shelvey tries a through ball, but Joselu is caught offside.
Substitution
Substitution, Leicester City. Demarai Gray replaces Fousseni Diabaté.
Goal!
Goal! Leicester City 0, Newcastle United 2. Ayoze Pérez (Newcastle United) right footed shot from outside the box to the centre of the goal. Assisted by Florian Lejeune following a fast break.
Comments
Join the conversation
Nearly every pundit had us as going down and not good enough,if that is the case surely rafa is manager of the season,the same pundits would never say he is though.
Gets pelters from some of our fanbase who don't understand the role he's being asked to play.
Looks like survival is all but assured, let's have a right go at Arsenal next week.
Newcastle have won more league titles than Leicester
More FA cups
Played a hell of a lot more top flight football
You sit 5 pints above us, we are your contemporaries
All the best to Leicester,but where do u get your arrogance from?