Premier League: Foxes and Magpies in Boxing Day Clash!

Leicester City vs Newcastle United

It’s arguably the biggest fixture on Boxing Day and one to clear any foggy heads, as two of the English league’s form sides come head to head at the King Power Stadium.

Yes, it will be fascinating to see whether these clubs can pick up where they left off; but Premier League: Leicester City vs Newcastle United brings together two teams that went into the break in decent shape. The Foxes were climbing the table after a poor start while the Magpies are 14 without a defeat, and Eddie Howe’s side sit proudly in third place, looking upwards to only Arsenal and Manchester City.

Leicester coach Brendan Rodgers was under some pressure after a disastrous opening two months, but 12 points from the last five games have pulled the Foxes away from the relegation scrap and he’ll be expecting them to kick on.

Both teams come into the game on the back of a Carabao Cup win, Leicester trouncing MK Dons 3-0 while Newcastle overcame Bournemouth 1-0. They have drawn each other in the cup quarter-finals but, in the meantime, this league match is set up to be a post-Christmas cracker!

Talking Points

Leicester must ignore Transfer Window noise

The Foxes had a difficult summer with the loss of key players; including legendary keeper Kasper Schmeichel and classy centre-back Wesley Fofana. And inevitably the speculation over possible transfer activity is gathering pace again, which is particularly unhelpful for Rodgers.

James Maddison with seven goals, four assists and five yellow cards had an all-action 15 games and his form has been a revelation, winning the attacking midfielder a place in Gareth Southgate’s England squad, though he was oddly unused. Newcastle made an aggressive pursuit of the Foxes star in the summer but Leicester turned down two bids, the second at £45m. But with just 18 months left on his contract, this is a delicate moment for both club and player who, at 26 years of age, is just coming into his prime and has been the standout player at the KingPower this season.

Another star who could be on the move soon is Belgian winger Youri Tielemens whose contract expires in 2023 and he could negotiate a pre-contract move in the New Year. Arsenal tracked the player in the summer but he says his focus is purely on Leicester at the moment. He captained the Foxes in their Carabao Cup win over MK Dons and scored a goal, so Tielemens has hit the ground running as the Premier League matches approach. Meanwhile, both Maddison and Tielemens are ready to line up alongside the resurgent Harvey Barnes who, after a prolonged injury lay-off, is back to his attacking best and has scored six goals so far this term.

Can Almiron regain his momentum?

The pre-match Leicester City vs Newcastle United betting odds makes the visitors marginal favourites to win this game and no wonder. In terms of the title race, the markets have put the Geordies in joint third place, at SBOTOP odds of 34.00, alongside Liverpool and ahead of Manchester United, Tottenham, and Chelsea.

This progress must have been quicker than the club’s owners could have hoped for, and the way Howe has improved some of the existing players while integrating new stars has been very impressive. Miguel Almiron, with eight goals in the first half of the campaign, and some spectacular ones, looks like the player the fans had hoped for when he signed in 2019. The Paraguayan scored only nine goals across his first three campaigns at St James’ Park, but Howe has a reputation for developing attacking talent and he’s also getting a tune out of Joelinton.

If the Almiron of 2022 can find his consistency and sustain his performances then, alongside England striker Callum Wilson, he and his club will continue to thrive.

At the other end of the pitch, Howe’s recruitment of wingback Kieran Trippier, who has made three assists, England keeper Nick Pope and Dutch centre-back Sven Botman has transformed the Magpies defence from a shambles into a slick unit.

History

This has been a clash between two solidly competitive top-flight sides over the years and the head-to-head Leicester City vs Newcastle United results couldn’t be closer, with both teams winning 14 games each and there have been six draws.

The Foxes won this corresponding fixture last term with a thumping 4-0 victory (before the Saudi takeover at Newcastle) as Maddison put in a man-of-the-match performance and Youri Tielemens scored a brace, but later in the season, Newcastle won at St James’ Park 2-1 in April as they climbed to safety.

In terms of recent form, both teams were in good nick before the break, Leicester with five wins and a defeat from the last six while Newcastle won all six.

Betting Tip

Leicester are at 3.01 to win this game while the draw is at 3.25 and Newcastle are favourites at a price of 2.18. Newcastle will be full of confidence but, with home advantage and some established quality in the side, I believe the Foxes too can regain their momentum.

 

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