So much for fears of the World Cup interval slowing Newcastle ’s charge towards a top-four finish. By the end of this procession at Leicester, their supporters were singing that Eddie Howe’s team were going to win the league.
And while, no, we’re not going to believe them just yet, it is both easy and understandable for those silverware-starved fans to get excited when their team is producing a clinical first-half performance such as this one to seal a sixth straight league win that simultaneously checked the momentum that had been built up before the break by a porous and flat Leicester.
Howe is certainly happy to allow the fans to get wrapped up in the excitement - even if the manager's message to his players is that they simply must not get carried away. “My attitude won't change but I've no problem with the supporters dreaming, talking and speculating about what we can achieve,” Howe said.
“We need to be mindful internally and focus on what we can control, which is our own thoughts and actions. And not look too far ahead or listen too much to news media and focus on our training and games. This is the toughest league in the world for a reason.”
Chris Wood, in for the ill Callum Wilson, opened the scoring from the penalty spot after three minutes before the exceptional Miguel Almiron and Joelinton ensured the first Premier League game at this ground since October 29 was over as a contest with 13 minutes of the opening period still to play.
And while there was plenty to admire about Newcastle’s attacking display, backed up by a fifth clean sheet in seven, they were not half aided by their hosts’ defensive sloppiness.
There were only 85 seconds on the clock when Daniel Amartey offered up the first gift. With Joelinton charging towards him, the Leicester centre back mistimed his challenge so badly that he only met the right shin of the Brazilian to give away arguably the most clear cut penalty of the entire campaign.
Wood subsequently sent his spot kick convincingly down the middle after Danny Ward committed early to diving right.
Leicester, who had entered the break with four wins from five, still appeared in shock when Almiron scored the second.
It arrived from a crisp one-two between the Paraguayan and Bruno Guimaraes that left Wout Faes in a daze. Almiron still had plenty to do, smoothly caressing the ball into the bottom left corner, but there was far too much time and space afforded by the static Leicester back line.
Leicester briefly showed a degree of fight after going two down and the introduction of Ayoze Perez for the injured Dennis Praet led to an uptick in intensity down the right.
But Patson Daka failed to make the most of being sent through on goal twice - with the first of those opportunities ending with Sven Botman clearing off the line after keeper Nick Pope rushed out in an attempt to stifle the striker, resulting in the ball ricocheting towards his vacated goal.
Yet any threat of a comeback was extinguished by the head of Joelinton a little more than half an hour in as he climbed high to power home Kieran Trippier ’s corner while Bobakary Soumare, who was meant to be marking him, remained meekly rooted to the spot.
Wood should have had his second three minutes before the break when, completely unmarked 14 yards out, he landed a first-time effort on the roof of the net having been fed by Joe Willock.
Jamie Vardy’s introduction for Daka at the break brought some shouts of encouragement from a home support that had unsurprisingly greeted the half-time whistle with a chorus of jeers.
The 35-year-old at least gave the Newcastle defence something to think about with one burst down the right before crossing to Harvey Barnes and a late shot that Pope stopped with his right boot.
But the damage had long been inflicted and there was fresh concern for Leicester afterwards when manager Brendan Rodgers revealed that there is no timescale on James Maddison's return from a knee injury because the England star is now feeling pain in a different part of his joint.
“He's not near to playing yet,” Rodgers said. “We'll see what the timeline is. It's a different part of his knee. It was in the back but it's now in the front. I need to listen to the experts and take it from there.
“It's something that's maybe come indirectly from issues when he was away. He's feeling something on the front of his knee that the medics are trying to get to the bottom of.”
As for his team’s performance, Rodgers said: “Newcastle were much better than us. The best team won. Someone said it was 300 games as a manager here today and I've learnt in that period that the one thing you need to have is the right attitude and commitment.
"For some reason ours wasn't there and when you give a team like Newcastle a leg up in the first couple of minutes it can be very, very difficult for you. It's all about mentality. You cannot win unless you defend properly. We didn't do that. You have to defend much better and stronger than we did to start the game.”
