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Newcastle United – Leicester City
The new calendar year is only ten days old and already the programme in England is going from strength to strength. The Premier League is constantly playing anyway in order to cope with the immense schedule of 38 match days. The same applies to the two cup competitions. While we still saw the 3rd round of the FA Cup at the weekend, the EFL Cup, the English League Cup, already goes into the last eight on Tuesday evening.
In the quarter-finals, Newcastle United, among others, will host a currently disappointing Leicester City. However, coach Eddie Howe’s team put in an equally embarrassing performance on Saturday. The Magpies were knocked out of the FA Cup with a 2-1 defeat at second division side Sheffield Wednesday. Before that, however, Newcastle picked up a point against league leaders Arsenal.
Leicester City had an equally difficult weekend in the cup. The Foxes struggled at fourth division side Gillingham but completed the task with a 1-0 away win. Before that, however, the team of coach Brendan Rodgers lost three times in a row in the Premier League. Among other things, the Foxes lost 3-0 to the upcoming opponents on Boxing Day. Whether the current clash will have a similar outcome, you can read in our Newcastle – Leicester tip.
Newcastle – Leicester Info:
– Date & Time: 10.01.2023, 21:00 Uhr
– Venue: St. James’ Park, Newcastle
– Competition: Quarter-finals, EFL Cup
– TV coverage: DAZN
Newcastle Form & Balance Check
While Newcastle United may be one of the big surprises this season, there are definitely better places to start going into the next cup tie with a 2-1 cup defeat behind them. The Magpies did not take the 3rd round of the FA Cup seriously enough and consequently got the fitting response from second division side Sheffield Wednesday. This defeat was all the more surprising as Coach Howe’s team had previously fought their way to a 0-0 draw away to league leaders Arsenal and thus remained unbeaten for 15 games in a row. That streak has now come to an end with an FA Cup exit.
Defensive remains steadfast
The recent 2-1 defeat was the first time Newcastle had conceded two goals in a competitive match since beating Crystal Palace 3-2 in the 3rd round of the EFL Cup on 09 November. Since then, the Magpies have gone without conceding a goal. Neither Chelsea, Bournemouth, Leicester, Leeds nor Arsenal scored a goal against Newcastle. The Magpies show how good the defensive chain in front of goalkeeper Nick Pope is every week in the Premier League. Newcastle have conceded just eleven goals in 18 games, making them the best defensive side on the island.
Newcastle facts & analysis
– Newcastle lost 2-1 at Sheffield Wednesday in the FA Cup at the weekend.
– The Magpies had previously gone five consecutive games without conceding a goal.
– To reach the quarter-finals, Newcastle have so far defeated: Tranmere, Crystal Palace and Bournemouth.
Leicester Form & Balance Check
In contrast to their upcoming opponents, Leicester City managed to advance to the 4th round of the FA Cup last weekend. Striker Kelechi Iheanacho’s goal in the 55th minute of the match was enough to defeat League Two side Gillingham. It was the first competitive win for coach Rodgers’ side after three straight defeats. The Foxes lost to Newcastle, Liverpool and Fulham after four successive trebles. After Leicester City had been stuck in the relegation battle in the Premier League for a long time, the Foxes initially climbed to 13th place in the table. However, Leicester are only two points clear of the relegation zone. Despite the recent cup success, the current mood is very clouded.
In the offensive it is stuck
In particular, the recent three defeats in the Premier League showed where the problems currently lie in the Foxes’ game. Leicester scored just one goal in those three games. In total, Rodgers’ side put 13 shots on target against Newcastle, Liverpool and Fulham. So it is not the offensive efforts that are lacking, but the finishing quality. On top of that, there is bad luck, as was shown by the crossbar against Fulham. An even greater misfortune befell centre-back Wout Faes against Liverpool. The Belgian scored two own goals to seal the defeat of his team, which had previously taken a 1-0 lead.
Leicester facts & analysis
– Leicester won 1-0 at Gillingham in the FA Cup at the weekend.
– The Foxes previously lost three competitive games in a row.
– To reach the quarter-finals, Leicester have so far defeated: Stockport, Newport County and MK Dons.
Predicted line-up – last update on 9 January 2023
With a place in the semi-finals at stake, both teams will field top line-ups. The familiar cup rotation will therefore not be used. It is to be expected that Newcastle will play in the 4-3-3 system that Eddie Howe last played against Arsenal. Missing out through injury will be Isak, Target, Dummett, Krafth and Shelvey.
Brendan Rodgers will also field the best that Leicester currently have at their disposal. The Foxes operate in a 4-2-3-1 formation with Vardy as the lone striker. The upcoming visitors are also currently without a number of key players in Maddison, Evans, Bertrand, Praet, Pereira, Justin and Daka.
Newcastle – Leicester direct comparison & stats
The recent duels between Newcastle United and Leicester City have been goal-filled and varied. Most recently, the Magpies picked up two wins in a row over the Foxes. Before that, Leicester won three in a row.
– At least 2 goals have been scored in each of the last 5 encounters.
– Newcastle won the last home match against Leicester 2-1.
– Leicester last won at Newcastle on 03 January 2021.
