It’s been real. Neither team looks in particularly good nick, with Leicester’s array of attacking talent all seemingly on different wavelengths to each other. Newcastle’s attackers have been isolated too. Midfield has been a sludge of tackles and niggles.
45+3 min: Leicester corner, taken by Maddison, and Fofana on the edge of the six-yard box can only head over. That’s probably his team’s best chance of the half.
45 min: Schar is down, and looks to have a muscle problem. There will be four minutes added on to this top-level first of unrelenting entertainment.
44 min: Lovely skill from Barnes but he eventually runs into traffic before he can release Vardy.
43 min: Leicester corner, which comes out to Tielemans, who sees glory and ends up whacking the ball deep into the stands. His radar is definitely off-beam today.
41 min: Callum Wilson is again the out ball but he is again crowded out. Almiron falls to the floor, having looked to have taken a swipe off Ndidi. There’s a scratch on the Paraguayan’s face. How good a cuts man is the Newcastle physio? He seems to have done a decent job but Almiron leaves the field.
39 min: Leicester suddenly produce an attack. Castagne gets to the byline from a Maddison ball and his cross comes off the back of Barnes who had misjudged his run.
38 min: This is no classic, to say the least. That’s perhaps not surprising considering the workload these teams have been put through.
36 min: Vardy fails to control a through ball but applauds the invention. Both teams looking to the long ball to pick the lock.
34 min: Some frustration from Fofana when he can’t find a willing runner for a ball out of defence.
33 min: Tielemans concedes a foul and has a whinge at the ref. He’s had a tough game so far and doesn’t look better for his rest against Crystal Palace.
31 min: A long ball for Wilson is again cleared. At the other end, Yedlin stops Barnes in his tracks. Both defences well on top at the moment.
30 min: Steve Bruce will he happy so far. He’d be even happier if Wilson and Joelinton were seeing more of the ball.
28 min: Brendan Rodgers passes some messages to his players as Maddison lies stricken but then gets up again. His walk to the sideline is ginger. But he comes back on, and will try to run off the knock.
26 min: Leicester have lost their step a little. And Maddison looks to be hurt after a clash with Schar. It looks to be a knee problem, and an awkward fall. He looks in serious pain too.
24 min: This referee seems lenient. Albrighton looks to be fouled but he waves play on. Another missile is launched towards Callum Wilson but he can’t get to it.
22 min: Ritchie booms in a free-kick but Leicester hack clear. Almiron looks to be brought down but nothing doing from the side-parted referee.
20 min: The corner comes in and everyone misses it. Fofana swings and misses. The ball goes down the other end and out comes Schmeichel to clear the ball, and almost on his halfway line.
19 min: First Newcastle attempt on goal. Almiron’s ball and Joelinton heads straight at Schmeichel. Leicester head right down the other end and force a corner.
17 min: Newcastle put some passes together but Wilson is isolated in attack. Still, the pressure is kept up. This is their best spell so far. It’s certainly got the fake crowd in full voice. The move breaks down when the ball comes off the referee. That’s the second time that’s happened already.
15 min: Newcastle a bit more adventurous than against Liverpool but not much more.
13 min: Vardy has the ball in the net but he’s offside. Great pass from Maddison but the trap is sprung. It was a beautiful angled finish too.
12 min: Long ball from Clark to Wilson but the striker cannot take the ball down. That route appears Newcastle’s best chance of creating chances.
10 min: First link of the Longstaff Bros but Leicester soon get the ball back. A long ball is launched at Albrighton, but Clark comes across. Leicester soon make a chance. Vardy cuts the ball back and Tielemans, oddly, plays a pass rather than shoot. Seems there was an offside but questions must be raised over what the Belgian was attempting there.
8 min: Callum Wilson wins a foul, and some respite for Newcastle. The free-kick is something of a waste.
7 min: Joelinton goes down, looks like a back problem. James Maddison was hobbling earlier but is OK to play on. Joelinton requires treatment on his Cilla Black but will also be OK to go on.
5 min: A muscular burst by Barnes, and he attempts to play it through to Maddison. Newcastle already having to defend deep. Ciaran Clark, making is 100th appearance for Newcastle, steps across to cut off the danger of a Vardy run.
3 min: Early sighter for Maddison, but well wide of the target. Darlow waves it past.
2 min: Jamie Vardy links with Harvey Barnes, and almost certainly not for the last time. This time, Newcastle get it clear. Karl Darlow, outstanding against Liverpool, launches the ball long with a clearance.
1 min: The referee, Robert Jones, blows his whistle and the teams and coaches take the knee. Away we go.
The teams take to the field at St James’, an empty St James’ alas, aside from the press box behind the dugouts and some people in the seats behind them, presumably in some form of official capacity. Mark Knopfler’s Theme From Local Hero rings out. A classic anthem, it ends more suddenly than just about any record I can think of. It just judders to a halt. Perhaps only the theme from On The Up, as sung by Dennis Waterman, has such a sudden crescendo.
Brendan Rodgers speaks
We had players who couldn’t do the second game in 48 hours [against Crystal Palace]. Youri Tielamans has played every game, including internationals. We thought we could give him a rest. They are now all fit and fresh and ready to go.
Steve Bruce speaks
Isaac [Hayden] picked his his fifth yellow card so I thought a bit of freshness in midfield. Jonjo is still not right. Almíron, fresh legs is what’s required. [Liverpool draw] gave everyone a lift. It’s been pretty demanding with Manchester City, Liverpool and new Leicester, it couldn’t have been any tougher.
Their match-winning pairing against Manchester United was in October 2019.
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📊 Sean and Matty Longstaff start together in PL for the first time since the 2-2 draw at Everton in January 2020
Ciaran Clark makes his 100th app for Newcastle pic.twitter.com/6dzJmnULUg
January 3, 2021
Here’s the fans’ half-term verdicts on their teams from today’s Observer.
Newcastle
We’ve had only a few bright spots in a generally disappointing, if not unexpected, first half of the season. We’re lucky to have the points tally we do, but that might just be a platform for staving off relegation – again. Our possession in games is abysmal, rarely topping 35%: it’s perhaps a blessing we can’t watch it live … 4/10
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Stars and flops Karl Darlow has proved an excellent deputy for the injured Martin Dubravka and has kept us in games. Callum Wilson’s skill, tenacity and scoring touch have been a revelation, and Isaac Hayden has evolved from being so-so to so essential. But Jeff Hendrick has done little to improve the squad while Joelinton still struggles, typifying the “Ashley knows best” deadweight we’ve had to endure for 13 years.
Happy with the manager? No. Bruce’s rope-a-dope tactics are exasperating. After 17 months and no progress, his excuses about Rafa’s legacy are wearing thin. Fans are bemused by pundits telling us he’s doing a good job. With the talent at his disposal, we should be producing pacier, more incisive, attacking football. As a Geordie he cares about the club, but “Bruceball” is painful to watch and the manner of our League Cup exit was extremely worrying. With Rafa, it felt like there was a plan. With Bruce, it feels like we’re going nowhere. 4/10
We need to sign We’ll be in the bargain basement again, but we’re desperate for a midfielder who can grab hold of a game and drive it forward. And we’d love to see Dutch left back Jetro Willems return.
Favourite moment of 2020 Newcastle fans telling the Premier League to stick their £14.95 pay-per-view scheme and donating to a food bank instead.
• David and Richard Holmes
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Leicester
It’s been another terrific season so far. In the top four above City, Chelsea and Spurs and through to the Europa League knockouts is all we could have asked for. I was worried we’d struggle with our intense fixture congestion, but so far, so good. 9/10
Stars and flops Our established stars continue to make major contributions but special mentions have to go to James Justin and Nampalys Mendy who have done incredibly well deputising for one of the best full-backs and one of the best defensive midfielders in Europe. It’s also pleasing to see Brendan Rodgers finally utilise Ayoze Pérez more effectively too.
Premier League fans’ half-term reports. Part two: Liverpool to WolvesRead more
Happy with the manager? There’s not much room for criticism in terms of our current progress, but it’s not all been plain sailing. On our day we’re among the best sides to watch in Europe, but when we’re bad, oooyah beauty, are we bad! It’s a learning curve but Rodgers needs to find a way to quicken our football up against deep low blocks – oh, and to answer our enduring set-piece defending woes. 8/10
We need to sign Another striker to give us something different up front. Vardy can’t carry the forward line on his own for much longer and Pérez is better in the No 10 role.
Moment that made me smile in 2020 Seeing Leicester qualify for the last 32 of the Europa League at Braga was a special moment. Especially with two homegrown Chisits and club legend Vardy getting the goals.
• Chris Whiting
This is how it finished last season between these teams. Leicester were second, though that didn’t sustain until the end of the season. Newcastle had four injuries in the first 45 minutes.
Leicester have made seven changes from their draw with Crystal Palace with James Maddison the headline returnee, while Newcastle have made just two from their draw with Liverpool, with Miguel Almíron and Sean Longstaff coming in, and that means there will be a partnership of Longstaff brothers in midfield.
Newcastle: Darlow, Yedlin, Fernandez, Schar, Clark, Ritchie, S Longstaff, M Longstaff, Almiron, Joelinton, Wilson.
Subs: Dubravka, Dummett, Carroll, Shelvey, Gayle, Hendrick, Krafth, Manquillo, Murphy.
Leicester: Schmeichel, Justin, Fofana, Evans, Castagne, Ndidi, Albrighton, Tielemans, Maddison, Barnes, Vardy.
Subs: Ward, Soyuncu, Iheanacho, Perez, Amartey, Under, Mendy, Praet, Thomas.
Leicester are in danger of ‘doing of a Leicester’ while Newcastle are doing a Newcastle, a slow amble to safety in which very little excitement is delivered. That’s what awaits in 2021 for these two clubs. Are Leicester good enough to properly challenge? The evidence suggests they might be though there are familiar vulnerabilities from Brendan Rodgers’ days at Swansea, Liverpool and Celtic. Over Christmas, they needed late equalisers at Manchester United and Crystal Palace, two games they might have won and put themselves in an even better position. Newcastle’s draw with Liverpool was the best result Steve Bruce has delivered in some time - his team have not won since 12 December and that was West Brom. It appears set up for another day of deep defending from his team while Rodgers’ team will have to play their way through.
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