IT’S ALL THERE IN BLACK & WHITE
Rafa won’t breathe easy until Magpies reach target
Battling win at Foxes Toon into top ten
Relegation fears over
Rafa’s miracle season
TENTH in the table, 10 points clear of the relegation zone and still Rafa Benitez refuses to accept Newcastle are safe.
His players delivered a textbook away win thanks to Jonjo Shelvey’s first league goal of the season and a fabulous lob from Ayoze Perez over stranded Kasper Schmeichel.
But Benitez continues to insist it is all about the 40-point mark, providing proof that when it comes to dampening down celebrations, he remains the master. Ask Leicester.
The Toon boss said: “We know we are really close but you never know. If there is complacency then you lose two games and start to have problems.
“I think it was a great game, we deserved to win and I am pleased with everything. Perez? It was a great goal. He is working so hard and he has the quality to score this kind of goal.”
It was a strange kind of birthday for chairman Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha. To mark the occasion of his 60th the Foxes had commemorative chocolate coins, giveaway season ticket renewals, fireworks, and a round of applause for their front-of-house owner.
Shame no-one thought about a present. Like a performance or three points, for instance? Jamie Vardy’s 16th of the season was poor consolation.
Leicester coach Claude Puel, not surprisingly, focused on referee Stuart Attwell’s decision not to award a penalty for Paul Dummett’s challenge on Riyad Mahrez at 1-0 down.
He said: “Of course it was a penalty, there was contact with Riyad and it was an important moment in the game. It was not a good performance in the first half and we wasted a big opportunity today.”
This was supposed to be a return to form at home after four games without a win but organised, tidy Newcastle had different ideas.
The first battle was won in the stands with the Geordie fans drowning out the traditional clappers. Out on the pitch, the Foxes were denied the space they require for their usual tempo.
Then, just to further complicate the issue for the home side, Newcastle actually managed to score in the first half via the unlikeliest of sources.
Shelvey showed poise to stop and dummy two Leicester defenders before curling an effort past Schmeichel. The shot took a slight deflection off Ben Chilwell’s arm but that should not detract from a first league goal of the season for the midfielder.
Leicester, so often full of fizz and pop, were more like the sugar-free version, especially in the first half. Even so Fousseni Diabate was not far away with an equaliser after collecting a pass from Harry Maguire.
Maguire was booked for tangling, arms up, with Dwight Gayle, much to the annoyance of the home fans. They had further reason to moan before half-time when Mahrez sprinted on to a fabulous pass from Adrien Silva.
Defender Dummett intervened, bringing down Mahrez in the area but referee Attwell dismissed what looked like strong penalty claims.
Benitez reckoned Maguire should have gone and also conceded Dummett’s challenge could easily have been a penalty but dismissed both as irrelevant.
Perez’s goal ensured that. The pump from deep by Florian Lejeune appeared to catch out Wes Morgan, who hesitated, the ball bounced, and Perez’s connection was the perfect lob over Schmeichel.
Leicester’s fighting spirit was in evidence as sub Demarai Gray crossed, Shinji Okazaki nodded on and Vardy finished from close range, his ninth in 11 matches.
It sparked a frantic last few minutes but Newcastle held firm.
By that stage the home fans had disappeared.
No-one was in the mood to sing “Happy Birthday, Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha”.