Newcastle 0 Leicester City 0
At kick-off Newcastle fans unfurled an enormous banner emblazoned with the message: “Bad times don’t last but legends do.”
Those words were superimposed on giant images of Eddie Howe and his players as a manager and a team that spent most of last season fighting relegation completed one of football’s more remarkable transformations.
No matter that this was far from a weary looking Newcastle’s most convincing performance; the resultant point sealed a top four place and, with it, the glittering prize of participation in next season’s Champions League.
If many Tynesiders, mentally at least, appear already in the airport departure lounge, passports at the ready as, after a 20-year absence, they prepare for a series of European adventures, Leicester are contemplating countless impending trips to rather less glamorous second tier destinations.
The 2016 Premier League Champions may not quite be relegated, not yet anyway, but their slender survival hopes are dependent on Everton failing to beat Bournemouth at Goodison Park on Sunday, while they also win at home to West Ham.
At kick-off Leicester became the first Premier League team to play on four consecutive Monday nights. After their collection of a solitary point from the first three of those fixtures it is easy to understand why Dean Smith insists he does not much like Mondays.
By way of enlivening this one Leicester’s manager started with his two brightest creative talents on the substitutes’ bench. It meant James Maddison – a midfielder right at the top of Howe’s summer shopping list – and Harvey Barnes sat back and watched as Smith attempted to stave off relegation courtesy of a new look back five featuring Jonny Evans at its heart.
At least Leicester’s midfield did not have to contend with Joelinton after Howe’s Brazilian midfielder sustained an injury in the warm up, prefacing the way for Elliot Anderson to deputise.
While Anderson swiftly contributed some decent touches, his rather more exalted midfield partner, Bruno Guimarães was perhaps a little fortunate to remain on the pitch after planting his studs in Boubakary Soumaré's thigh in the 11th minute.
That incident triggered a VAR review but, ultimately, it was decided that the yellow card produced by Andre Marriner, the referee, would suffice and Howe’s body language relaxed.
The only trouble was that his players could not seem to loosen up sufficiently to faze Smith’s suddenly assured looking rearguard. With Newcastle missing their customary pressers in chief, the injured Joe Willock and Joelinton, they could not quite force their usually intense high tempo and Evans and co duly second guessed repeated attacking manoeuvres.
Whenever Howe’s players enter their trademark prematch huddles, Kieran Trippier, the captain, reminds his team-mates that “pressure is a privilege” but it looked like the stress of having one foot on the European mainland was suddenly burdening a team starting to look distinctly tired.
Nonetheless Leicester’s Wilfried Ndidi was required to clear a Callum Wilson header off the line with Daniel Iversen beaten after the England striker’s original shot had rebounded off the inside of a post as Newcastle began forcing a few corners.
Smith’s side lived dangerously once more when Miguel Almirón met Fabian Schär’s headed flick on the half volley before hitting a post but Alexander Isak could not quite direct the rebound on target.
Leicester’s problem was that, while keeping Newcastle just about at bay was all very well, they really needed to win in order to avoid dropping into the Championship. Given that Nick Pope had spent the first half as a spectator and the visiting players rarely had control of the ball long enough to send Jamie Vardy accelerating forward on the counterattack something needed to change.
It was no surprise then that Smith pressed the button marked “Maddison” at half-time, sending him on for the second period in place of Kelechi Iheanacho. Vardy’s supposed partner in crime had barely touched the ball during his time on the pitch but now Maddison was playing just behind Leicester’s No 9 and Schär and Sven Botman needed to be on their guard.
Equally Smith’s players needed to start taking a few risks and Newcastle might have capitalised when a shot from the now increasingly influential Almirón was blocked by Youri Tielemans but a VAR check detected no handball and a penalty was not awarded.
Iversen, who had earlier seemed a little shaky, then came to the visiting rescue courtesy of a fabulous save to somehow tip Isak’s imperiously rising shot over the bar one handed. Significantly that chance was conjured by Almirón.
By now Smith had no real option bar going for broke and sure enough he replaced Evans and Vardy with Harvey Barnes and Patson Daka as he ordered his side to switch to a back four.
With Smith’s revamp making negligible difference, things continued much as before. Guimarães headed against a post from point blank range following a corner while Iversen extended a leg to keep Sean Longstaff’s shot out but Newcastle had done enough. – Guardian
