It was about 9:50pm that Rafa took his glasses off and put them into his inside pocket having guided Newcastle to an unlikely win against an in-form Leicester side after we had lost two games in a row without managing to score a goal.
But this win takes us to 38 points with four games still to play and will raise the morale of Newcastle fans all around the world.
As we had said before the game we needed a clean sheet and a win – since another loss would further lower the morale on Tyneside.
But when Rafa needs to, he can get a win, and the players were well organized and disciplined and made it really hard for the high flying Foxes.
It also shows why Rafa Benitez is made to measure for Newcastle United, and hopefully, the hierarchy and Rafa can talk in earnest next week about a new contract and then we have a good chance of beating Southampton at home a week tomorrow.
Miguel Almiron congratulates Ayoze Perez after scoring the winning goal
We need to do that to make up for our disappointment last Saturday against Crystal Palace.
We are now 10 points clear of third-bottom Cardiff with a better goal difference and Cardiff have six games to play.
Ayoze was back to his best tonight and scored with a nice glancing header after 32 minutes, and that was Ayoze’s 8th goal of the season – and 7th in the Premier League.
He had 8 PL goals last season.
This was the second season in succession we have won at the King Power Stadium having won 2-1 there last season around this time.
This was a Benitez like performance from our players who ran their hearts out tonight with Miguel Almiron seeming to run for miles…
Newcastle were again backed by a magnificent 3,000 fans who will have a happy journey back tonight.
After 25 minutes Wes Morgan fouled Ayoze Perez, and Salomon Rondon hit the crossbar with another superb free-kick – he’s been so unlucky in the last couple of games.
Newcastle were counter-attacking well in the first half, and then the energetic Matt Ritchie beat Ricardo Pereira and crossed for Perez, who got in front of Wes Morgan and his glancing header found the back of the net.
An excellent goal from the Newcastle forward.
It was Newcastle 1-0 up at the break, and they seemed determined to hang on for all 3 points in the second half.
Perez had a couple of chances early on in the second half, and then Almiron had a couple of chances which he squandered.
One was after Fabian Schar had taken the ball from his own half to set up another Newcastle attack.
Leicester pushed hard for an equalizer as the game went on, and Jamie Vardy could have done better with a chance after 80 minutes.
But Newcastle held on well and played an excellent defensive game at the King Power Stadium tonight.
We are virtually safe from relegation now, but Rafa will want to win the final four games of the season against Southampton (H), Brighton (A), Liverpool (H), and Fulham (A).
A magnificent performance from the lads tonight – just when we needed it most – the players need to take full credit for this win along with Rafa and his coaches.
Teams:
Leicester: Schmeichel; Pereira, Morgan, Maguire, Chilwell; Ndidi (Mendy, 72); Gray (Iheanacho, 72), Maddison, Barnes (Albrighton, 80), Tielemans; Vardy. Subs not used: Ward, Evans, Fuchs, Okazaki.
Newcastle: Dubravka; Manquillo, Schar, Lascelles, Dummett, Ritchie; Perez, Hayden, Ki (Diame, 82), Almiron (Atsu, 78); Rondon. Subs not used: Darlow, Shelvey, Muto, Fernandez, Yedlin.
Goal: Perez 32
Referee: Christopher Kavanagh (Manchester)
Attendance: 32,108
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18 comments so far
Nicky the ball tosser
Apr 12, 2019 at 10:44 PM
Comment #1Real shame for us if we lose Hayden. Just purrs around the middle of the park with real athleticism. He has 10 fine EPL seasons ahead of him. Ki and Hayden are super economical in their movement. They are very good in there for us. Very tight and tidy. Throw in Longstaff and Shelvey and we are very well served provided we strengthen elsewhere, but alas it does look as if he’s going.
Ozzy
Apr 12, 2019 at 10:44 PM
Comment #2From https://bit.ly/2DdU2pC
Hayden shines in Magpies midfield
Newcastle’s defenders all excelled but they were brilliantly protected by Isaac Hayden in a defensive-midfield role. His seven tackles were more than anyone else on the pitch recorded.
Jib
Apr 12, 2019 at 10:44 PM
Comment #3If Carlsberg did Friday nights
DaveD1000
Apr 12, 2019 at 10:45 PM
Comment #4Mention in Dispatches for Mannikin who I thought would start at CP. Nothing wrong nothing terribly right just solid.
Jib
Apr 12, 2019 at 10:47 PM
Comment #5We are above the three “B’s”
Bournemouth
Burnley
Brighton
Lindisfarne
Apr 12, 2019 at 10:48 PM
Comment #6Saturday is going to be a breeze!
https://youtu.be/_Tu-qDHSSZo
wartongeordie
Apr 12, 2019 at 10:48 PM
Comment #7Safe, Perez MOTM no doubt, ran non stop and scored another vital goal, hopefully we can watch others squirm and the unwashed fail to get promoted, HTL.
Jib
Apr 12, 2019 at 10:50 PM
Comment #8Rondon certainly got his mojo back
Pain in the Blog
Apr 12, 2019 at 10:51 PM
Comment #9Managed to watch the match in a pub here in Malaga. That’s got to be our best performance this season. Great disciplined defending and lots of counter attacking moves. We lost it a bit in the midfield but that’s partly down to our 523 shape and also down to them having one of the strongest CM pairing in the league. I put the win down to Rafa’s disciplined training. Brilliant. And my MOM Perez.
RobLeenio
Apr 12, 2019 at 10:54 PM
Comment #10Thanks Charlie from previous.
Word of advice
DUCK!
😉
Charlie in the Gallowgate
Apr 12, 2019 at 10:58 PM
Comment #11Rob
Yeah duck
I know we hear rumour after rumour
But guy reckons the sale is imminent
One of the reasons why stock being run down and the ground –
RobLeenio
Apr 12, 2019 at 10:59 PM
Comment #12One slight criticism is that we should have scored more. We are inaccurate on the counter attack and it means we often waste opportunities we should convert. Rondon offside unnecessarily, Perez over-running the ball, poor first touch giving the defenders a chance.
It’s actually a positive really, because it’s something we can work on and improve.
IMO, we should have won that game by at least two goals, had we found just a little more accuracy on the counter. That would take the pressure off the defence as they would know that if they concede one, they have a buffer.
Still very happy with the overall performance, the lads were ready to die for the shirt tonight, any rust we saw in the Arsenal and Palace games was less evident here, it bodes well for the rest of the season.
RobLeenio
Apr 12, 2019 at 11:00 PM
Comment #13Oh, and Happy Birthday Big Jim. I’m sure you’ve had a good day anyway, call this the icing on the cake and crack open another beer to celebrate.
Bambams
Apr 12, 2019 at 11:00 PM
Comment #14I wonder if Rafa will push Roadrunner a bit further up against Saints. Now that we are ‘safe’
The lad will be so dangerous collecting the ball nearer the 18 yard box, that burst over the first 5 yards is as quick as I have seen any player.
simon376
Apr 12, 2019 at 11:01 PM
Comment #15Charlie, do you think that ties in with the ex player (forgot his name) who said what he did on talk sport America last week? Also wonder if it goes with the bbc gossip thing I mentioned this morning about the PSG owners. Let’s hope it’s a relative of theirs as someone mentioned so we can qualify for Europe next season
Charlie in the Gallowgate
Apr 12, 2019 at 11:03 PM
Comment #16To the match thought front three were excellent – never gave Leicester’s defence a minutes peace able abetted by Hayden who seemed to play s lot higher tonight
Saying that I gave my man of the match to Manquilla who came in after not playing for a while and a decent passer of the ball/ needs a run in the team.
Schar Aldo outstanding
Jail for Ashley
Apr 12, 2019 at 11:04 PM
Comment #17So how many free kicks has Rondon scored before??
RobLeenio
Apr 12, 2019 at 11:04 PM
Comment #18Charlie, I always take these things with a modicum of skepticism, but when different rumours start to back each other up, then you have to start to take them more seriously. Yours backs up Jib’s, which has since also been backed up by Dave Kitson.
Then there was what Bambams said earlier about certain staff having their phones confiscated.
Interesting….