PEREZ GETS REVENGE ON BOO-BOYS
Foxes’ former Newcastle star shines
ITH his fingers jammed in his ears in celebration, Ayoze Perez shut out the boo-boys who had brainlessly targeted him even when he played in black and white.
How they must now wish he was still in their colours. Perez and Leicester were everything Newcastle are not — skilful, bright and clinical. The Spaniard was never massively popular in Newcastle and it was only towards the end of his five years on Tyneside that appreciation grew.
Indeed, he was the 13-goal top marksman last season and that persuaded Leicester to activate a £30million release clause.
Newcastle added £10m to that and made striker Joelinton their £40m club-record signing.
On this evidence that looks like selling your sports car and then paying more for a push bike, and one with a puncture at that.
Perez (below) scored one and created one. Joelinton missed one and then missed another.
Perez was the best player on the pitch as Brendan Rodgers’ brilliant side cruised to a victory that keeps them two points better off than at this stage during their title-winning season.
It is a shame for Leicester that Liverpool will render such improvement redundant in their pursuit of silverware. But Rodgers should not concern himself too much with his former club’s excellence — he is building a team as worthy of acclaim.
‘ I came here with Liverpool once and won 6-0 — but this performance was just as good with the quality and control,’ he said. ‘ But we will improve the longer we work together. The potential in this group excites me.
‘They just have to keep that consistency and hunger.’
Steve Bruce’s side have lost four of their last five in the Premier League, a run that was telegraphed even during a winning streak that took them into the top half last month.
Their game-plan then did not extend much beyond sit deep, let the opposition have the ball and hope to nick a goal on the break or from a set-piece. Without the injured Allan Saint-Maximin, however, their shortcomings are being brutally exposed.
Bruce had said this week that he was concerned about the ‘well-being’ of Florian Lejeune. And he had good reason to be after the defender played three times in seven days following his return from an eight-month absence with a cruciate ligament injury, his second in as many years.
Lejeune looked physically shot during Saturday’s home defeat against Everton. This time he looked mentally gone too.
A fine player, fatigue can be the only explanation for his decision to pass across his own penalty area and straight to Perez for the opener on 36 minutes.
Three minutes later Lejeune’s attempted clearance lacked power and precision, and Perez worked the ball to James Maddison who lashed into the top corner.
On another day the crowd would turn on such a calamitous showing, but not here. If anything there was sympathy for a player who should not have been out there in the first place.
Lejeune, you suspect, should have been mercifully withdrawn at half-time, at least he would had Newcastle not lost three players in the final two minutes of the half. Jetro Willems was unable to continue with a groin problem before fellow full back Javier Manquillo followed him with a hamstring injury.
Jonjo Shelvey failed to emerge after the break and it got worse when defender Fabian Schar pulled up with a thigh strain within 60 seconds of the restart, leaving Newcastle with 10 men.
Game over. The second half was a largely passive affair but substitute Hamza Choudhury took the opportunity to bag his first senior goal when steering into the top corner from 25 yards three minutes from time.
NEWCASTLE (5-4-1): Dubravka 6.5; Manquillo 5 (Krafth 45min, 5.5), Schar 5, Fernandez 5.5, Lejeune 4, Willems 4.5 (Yedlin 45, 5.5); Muto 5, Shelvey 6 (S Longstaff 46, 6), Hayden 6, Almiron 5; Joelinton 4.5.
Subs not used: Darlow, Carroll, Gayle, Atsu. Booked: Fernandez. Manager: Steve Bruce 5. LEICESTER (3-5-2): Schmeichel 6.5; Evans 7 (Morgan 84), Soyuncu 7, Fuchs 7; Pereira 7, Tielemans 7, Ndidi 7.5, Maddison 7.5 (Choudhury 76), Chilwell 7; Iheanacho 6.5 (Gray 63, 6.5), PEREZ 8.
Subs not used: Ward, Justin, Albrighton,
Barnes.
Scorers: Perez 36, Maddison 39, Choudhury 87. Booked: Tielemans. Manager: Brendan Rodgers 8. Referee: Martin Atkinson 7. Attendance: 52,178.