High-flying Newcastle United will look to pick up where they left off when they travel to Leicester for Boxing Day’s clash at the King Power Stadium.
Following a calamitous start to the season, Leicester City’s confidence in manager Brendan Rodgers paid dividends, as the 49-year-old Northern Irishman has been successful in turning the Foxes’ fortunes around and steering them out of a precarious situation.
They won four of their final five Premier League games before the World Cup break to propel themselves out of the relegation zone and up into 13th position, within touching distance of the top half of the table.
Brendan Rodgers’ side secured 2-0 wins over Everton and West Ham United prior to the break and will be looking to make it three Premier League wins on the bounce when they return to Premier League action on Boxing Day at home.
However, that is easier said than done against a formidable Newcastle United side that are punching well above everyone’s expectations this season.
The Magpies have had a phenomenal start to the season, and Eddie Howe’s side solidified their top-four credentials with a dominant 1-0 victory over fellow top-four qualification hopefuls Chelsea before the season paused.
That victory means that the high-flying Magpies have won all five of their Premier League games, and as a consequence, they are currently sitting third in the Premier League standings ahead of their trip to the King Power Stadium.
Since taking over as manager just over a year ago, Eddie Howe has developed a winning mindset on Tyneside. They are only two points behind defending champions Manchester City and have gone unbeaten in ten league games.
The Magpies suffered a heavy 4-0 defeat on their last visit to the King Power Stadium, but Eddie Howe’s side is a different beast these days. Ahead of the latest meeting between the two sides, The Hard Tackle takes a closer look at the encounter.
Team News & Tactics
Leicester City
The Foxes warmed up for the Boxing Day clash with a 3-0 EFL Cup win at MK Dons to set up a quarterfinal tie against Newcastle United on January 10.
Set to take on the Magpies for the 1️⃣3️⃣2️⃣nd time.
All the stats ahead of #LEINEW 👇
— Leicester City (@LCFC) December 24, 2022
Ricardo Pereira has made significant progress in his recovery from an Achilles tendon injury, but James Justin is just getting started in his recuperation from the same issue and is likely to be ruled out for the remainder of the season. Ryan Bertrand’s return from a knee injury is still a long way off.
Jonny Evans (calf) and Caglar Soyuncu (hamstring) are also doubts for this game. Leicester City boss Brendan Rodgers will be sweating over the fitness of star man James Maddison ahead of this Boxing Day clash.
Despite not being included in their squad to face MK Dons, reports have suggested Maddison should be fit to face Newcastle, having joined the team shortly after England’s exit at the 2022 World Cup, and if fit, he might be thrown straight into the starting XI as part of a straight swap for Dennis Praet on the right-hand side.
Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall is another one that is touch and go, but should be fit for the game, likely replacing Ayoze Perez. Elsewhere up top, while Jamie Vardy led the line at MK Dons and got on the scoresheet, Patson Daka would be the go-to striker for Rodgers owing to his greater energy, intensity, pace, and ability to press a defence high up the pitch. Vardy might be called upon as an impact option off the bench.
Other than that, changes are unlikely. Danny Ward will continue in between the sticks, while the only four fit defenders that have tightened up prior to the World Cup will continue at the back. Thus, Timothy Castagne, Daniel Amartey, Wout Faes, and Luke Thomas will form the back line.
The Foxes usually line up in a 4-1-4-1 formation with Boubakary Soumare slotting in at the base of the midfield, while Youri Tielemans will continue to captain the side from a No. 8 position. Harvey Barnes will look to put his speed to good use on the left wing.
Probable Lineup (4-1-4-1): Ward; Castagne, Amartey, Faes, Thomas; Soumare; Maddison, Tielemans, Dewsbury-Hall, Barnes; Daka
Newcastle United
Toon manager Eddie Howe received several injury boosts in their EFL Cup game against Bournemouth, with Allan Saint-Maximin, Callum Wilson, and Joelinton all returning from minor knocks to play their parts in their 1-0 win over the Cherries.
Two more days to go… ⏳
🔜 #LEINEW // #PLReturns . . pic.twitter.com/26N7svLwob
— Newcastle United FC (@NUFC) December 24, 2022
While club-record signing Alexander Isak is closing in on a return after only starting in three games since his blockbuster move from Real Sociedad, he is still some way from making it onto the pitch, with a return date set for mid-January to help out in the hectic January fixture schedule.
Elliot Anderson is also working his way to full fitness and will be subject to late assessment for this tie, while Matt Ritchie, Paul Dummett, and Emil Krafth are all sidelined with long-term injuries.
Nick Pope is a certain starter between the sticks for the Magpies after proving his credential with most number of clean sheets in the Premier League. Guarding the Englishman in central defence could be the formidable pairing of Sven Botman and Fabian Schar. Kieran Trippier has nailed down the right full-back position, while Dan Burn will slot in on the other flank, offering a towering aerial defensive outlet on the left side.
There should be no changes in the midfield, with Sean Longstaff, Bruno Guimaraes, and Joe Willock forming the usual midfield trio. Geordie swashbuckling box-to-box enforcer Longstaff has been an unsung hero for this well-oiled engine room for Newcastle.
Orchestrator Jonjo Shelvey is another great option to dictate the proceedings in the latter stages of the game when the legs are tired. Joelinton’s reinvention as a midfielder is commendable, but he is proving to be the unlikely cheat code for Howe, as the Brazilian nowadays features exclusively as a hybrid left-sided winger-cum-midfielder.
Miguel Almiron will be aiming to continue his fine early season following the international break, as he has been the standout source of goals for the Toon Army. French Maverick Saint-Maximin will aim to be the game-changing substitution in this game as he looks to reclaim his starting berth.
After featuring for England as an impact sub in their World Cup journey in Qatar this winter, talismanic striker Callum Wilson will lead the charge of Newcastle’s attack on Boxing Day.
Probable Lineup (4-3-3): Pope; Trippier, Schar, Botman, Burn; S Longstaff, Bruno Guimaraes, Willock; Almiron, Wilson, Joelinton
Key Stats
- Both teams have tended to underperform on Boxing Day in the past. Leicester have won just one of their eight games, while Newcastle have lost their last six league games.
- Newcastle have won on three of their last five visits to the King Power Stadium, but have lost the other two by 5-0 and 4-0 scorelines.
- Having conceded 22 goals in their opening seven Premier League games this season, Leicester have kept a clean sheet in five of their last six Premier League matches.
- Miguel Almiron has been involved in eight goals in his last eight Premier League matches for the visitors, with the Paraguayan winger netting seven and assisting Joe Willock’s winner against Chelsea last time out.
- Newcastle will have the fifth-best record in the Premier League in 2022.
Player to Watch
Sven Botman
The 22-year-old summer signing has flourished at St James’ Park and is yet to taste defeat in a black and white shirt. A brilliant out-and-out defender with excellent defensive fundamentals and reading of the game, Botman can shrug off strikers off the ball in duels, intercepts well, and tackles well.
Sven Botman has been at #NUFC for 173 days and is still yet to lose a competitive game of football for the club.
16 games, 11 wins, nine clean sheets. pic.twitter.com/aHuyvLV9qG
— Dominic Scurr (@DomScurr) December 21, 2022
The Dutchman is super composed with the ball at his feet and is a crucial part of Newcastle’s build-up play. His eye for line-breaking passes between the lines is also a huge asset, and he’s generally an accurate passer of the ball. In a nutshell, he’s a full package and one of the best transfers of last summer.
Botman, like Bruno Guimaraes and Trippier, seems to have been another steal by Newcastle from under the noses of the Premier League’s traditional top six. With Newcastle boasting the joint-best defensive record, Botman has indeed been the best defender in the Premier League this term, perhaps alongside William Saliba, and has the potential to become a world-class defender sooner rather than later if he keeps progressing at his current pace.
Prediction
Leicester City 1-2 Newcastle United
Newcastle United have transformed into a real force this season, and this is another game they head into as favorites. Leicester City were slow starters but will hope to build on their winning momentum prior to the World Cup break and will be hoping to distance themselves further away from the Premier League relegation zone with a good result against high-flying Newcastle.
The hosts have kept a clean sheet in five of their last six league games, while Newcastle have the joint-best defensive record in the division. So, a low-scoring affair could well be on the cards. With both teams in fine form, it is difficult to call a winner, but the Hard Tackle predicts the Toon to slightly edge the Foxes and come out on top on the boxing day.
