MAGPIES MAUL FOXES
NEWCASTLE virtually clinched their Premier League survival as Leicester were left counting the cost of a catastrophic defeat.
The Foxes are now staring another costly end of season wobble full in the face – and it was painful to watch.
They blew a chance to put eight points between themselves and fifth-placed West Ham in the fight for a topfour spot.
And they can have no complaints as Newcastle took the points that leave Fulham now needing to win their last four games to beat the drop.
Brendan Rodgers’ men blew up at the same stage last season and missed out on the Champions League.
On-loan Joe Willock set the Toon on their way by scoring in his fourth consecutive game before Paul Dummett doubled the lead with his first goal in five years.
Callum Wilson then knocked the stuffing out of Leicester with a double strike in the second half. Chairman Aiyawatt Srivaddhanaprabha was back to see his side for the first time since the pandemic and brought some Buddhist monks with him to give Leicester their blessing.
But it did not go to plan and Steve Bruce’s boys thoroughly deserved this win at theWalkers Stadium.
It started to go wrong for the Foxes before a ball had even been kicked when Jonny Evans limped down the tunnel after the pre-match warm-up. The defender has had a heel injury and now faces an agonising fight to make the FA Cup final against Chelsea next Saturday.
Newcastle stunned the hosts by going 2-0 up and had the excellent Martin Dubravka to keep their goal protected.
The visitors gave early warning of their intentions when a brilliant stop from Kasper Schmeichel denied Allan Saint-Maximin.
Newcastle went ahead when Caglar Soyuncu made a hash of collecting a ball from Dummett and Willock robbed him to score. Dubravka superbly thwarted Wesley Fofana before Dummett struck.
He rose superbly at the far post to meet Matt Ritchie’s corner and powered a header with such force that Schmeichel could only help it on its way into the net.
Dubravka made another couple of key stops to deny Kelechi Iheanacho and Jamie Vardy as Leicester woke up to the enormity of the task ahead.
But Wilson finished them off with a classy finish as he rounded Schmeichel in the 64th minute.The striker then made it 4-0 with another clinical strike from a tight angle.
Marc Albrighton blasted one into the roof of the net in the 80th minute.
Iheanacho added a second goal for Leicester with three minutes to go but it all too little, too late and boss Rodgers must be worried by this capitulation.
LEICESTER (3-4-1-2): Schmeichel 6; Fofana 6, Castagne 6, Soyuncu 5; Pereira 6 (Thomas 69, 5), Albrighton 6, Ndidi 6 (Perez 62, 6), Tielemans 6; Maddison 6 (Mendy 77); Iheanacho 6, Vardy 6. Goals: Albrighton 80, Iheanacho 87.
NEWCASTLE (3-4-1-2): Dubravka 8; Krafth 7, Dummett 8, Fernandez 7; Murphy 7, Ritchie 7, Willock 8 (S Longstaff 73, 6), Shelvey 7; Almiron 7; Wilson 8, Saint- Maximin 8 (Joelinton 84). Goals: Willock 22, Dummett 34, Wilson 64, 73.