Follow live coverage as Newcastle United face Leicester City today in the Premier League. Another top-flight season will be covered in full right here with The Independent, as reigning champions Manchester City look to make it an unprecedented five titles in a row come the end of 2024/25.
The likes of Arsenal and Liverpool will be chasing Pep Guardiola's side, but just as fascinating will be the race for Champions League places, with more teams than ever before having designs on top-four finishes. Chelsea remain big-spending, Manchester United's latest rebuild continues and both Tottenham and Newcastle will expect improvements this year - yet it was Aston Villa who snared fourth last term.
Meanwhile, it's Southampton, Leicester City and Ipswich Town who made it back to the elite after promotion last year and each will have hope they can make it more than a one-year stay. Follow the latest live action from the Premier League below:
Newcastle United FC 4 - 0 Leicester City FC
Newcastle United vs Leicester City
17:02Newcastle thrash Leicester 4-0 at St James’ Park in a dominant performance, that saw the home side control throughout and they could have scored a few more, with Leicester unable to offer anything in return. They led 1-0 at the break through Murphy’s fine strike after a lovely move from a corner and then came out firing after the restart, with Guimaraes heading home the second from close range just two minutes after the break. They then extended their lead further on 50 minutes, when Isak headed in the third following a quick counter and cross from Hall down the left wing. Leicester made a few changes to try and alter the flow of the game, but the home side made it 4-0 on the hour mark, when Murphy drilled home his second and Newcastle’s fourth, to well and truly wrap up the victory. This win moves Newcastle up to 11th in the table ahead of their EFL Cup quarter-final game against Brentford in midweek, before their next league fixture against Ipswich. Meanwhile Leicester drop to 16th and they’ll face Wolves next weekend. That’s all from us today, we hope you enjoyed the game!
Newcastle United vs Leicester City
16:54FULL-TIME: NEWCASTLE 4-0 LEICESTER
Newcastle United vs Leicester City
16:54Okoli is booked late on for a poor challenge on Joelinton in stoppage time.
Newcastle United vs Leicester City
16:54There's been nothing going forward for Leicester today, it's been very comfortable for the Newcastle defence and even now, Leicester can't test the hosts goal. It looks like Newcastle are going to settle on four.
Newcastle United vs Leicester City
16:52Vestergaard is booked late on for a clear block on Barnes as the winger skipped past him down the right wing. No complaints with that one.
Newcastle United vs Leicester City
16:49There will be a minimum of five minutes added time played at the end of the second half.
Newcastle United vs Leicester City
16:49Prior to this game, Newcastle had been struggling against teams in and around them in table, playing better against the top teams. They've dominated this one from start to finish.
Newcastle United vs Leicester City
16:48Hall has been excellent for Newcastle today down the left wing, linking up well with Gordon and he goes for goal himself this time, but drags his shot wide and it doesn't trouble Ward.
Newcastle United vs Leicester City
16:47It's been a poor showing by the visitors in the second half, they came from 2-0 down last time out against Brighton to get a point, but they've shown no signs of a comeback here today.
Newcastle United vs Leicester City
16:44Good effort! Barnes has time and space on the edge of the box as Newcastle take a corner short and the former Leicester man fires a shot towards goal, but it's a comfortable save by Ward.
Newcastle United vs Leicester City
16:42We're into the final 10 minutes of the game now, can Leicester get a late consolation goal? They are trying to push forward a bit more, as Newcastle drop off the pace, but Dubravka has barely had anything to do in goal today.
Newcastle United vs Leicester City
16:41Substitution Bilal El Khannouss Bobby Armani De Cordova-Reid
Newcastle United vs Leicester City
16:39Decent effort! Barnes just manages to stay onside and tries to beat Ward from a tight angle, but it's too close to the keeper who makes a good save.
Newcastle United vs Leicester City
16:39Substitution Anthony Michael Gordon Joseph George Willock
Newcastle United vs Leicester City
16:36The pace of the game has dropped slightly in the last few minutes, with the substitutions slowing it down. Newcastle enjoying much of the possession, with Leicester just trying to limit it to the four goals conceded.
Newcastle United vs Leicester City
16:32CHANCE! Tonali gets away from his marker and manages to get a volley away from a tight angle, but he can only find the sidenetting. Not too far away for a fifth.
Newcastle United vs Leicester City
16:31Substitution Alexander Isak William Idamudia Daugard Osula
Newcastle United vs Leicester City
16:30Joelinton is booked for a late challenge on Justin and that means he will miss Newcastle's next game against Ipswich due to suspension.
Newcastle United vs Leicester City
16:28Newcastle have scored four goals in a game for the first time since 19th May 2024 against Brentford (W4-2).
Newcastle United vs Leicester City
16:26Newcastle look eager to get another here, they haven't finished at four and you wouldn't put it past them scoring again at the current rate.
Newcastle United vs Leicester City
16:24Substitution Bruno Guimarães Rodriguez Moura Sean David Longstaff
Newcastle United vs Leicester City
16:22Substitution Valentino Francisco Livramento Kieran John Trippier
Newcastle United vs Leicester City
16:22Substitution Jacob Kai Murphy Harvey Lewis Barnes
Newcastle United vs Leicester City
16:22Leicester have really struggled after the break, they've been outclassed by Newcastle in every department and Ward has conceded three since coming on at half-time.
Newcastle United vs Leicester City
16:19Goal Jacob Kai Murphy
Newcastle United vs Leicester City
16:17Substitution Stephy Alvaro Mavididi Facundo Valentín Buonanotte
Newcastle United vs Leicester City
16:17Substitution Jamie Richard Vardy Patson Daka
Newcastle United vs Leicester City
16:17Substitution Hamza Dewan Choudhury Memeh Caleb Okoli
Newcastle United vs Leicester City
16:16Isak has scored his seventh goal in the Premier League this season. He has now scored in his last three games in the competition (three goals in total), his longest streak since a run of four games from 2nd April 2024 to 24th February 2024.
Newcastle United vs Leicester City
16:13Decent effort! McAteer with a good strike from the edge of the box, but his low effort is too close to Dubravka, who makes a comfortable save.
Newcastle United vs Leicester City
16:12CHANCE! Murphy should make it 4-0! Isak dribbles past a couple of Leicester defenders on the edge of the box and then lays it off to Murphy, who is racing into the area. The winger powers his shot towards goal, but it flies just over the crossbar, so close!
Newcastle United vs Leicester City
16:11Leicester are all over the place at the back, they look like conceding every time Newcastle come forward, with the home side dominating in every position.
Newcastle United vs Leicester City
16:08Goal Alexander Isak
Newcastle United vs Leicester City
16:06Assist Lewis Kieran Hall
Newcastle United vs Leicester City
16:05Goal Bruno Guimarães Rodriguez Moura
Newcastle United vs Leicester City
16:04The second half is under way!
Newcastle United vs Leicester City
16:03Substitution Mads Hermansen Daniel Ward
Newcastle United vs Leicester City
15:57The visitors have struggled to get going, not testing Dubravka in goal and are struggling to get Vardy involved, who has been isolated for much of the game. Opta currently have Newcastle as favourites to secure the win, with a live win probability of 84.4% and xG 1.19, compared to just 3.6% for Leicester and xG 0.12,
Newcastle United vs Leicester City
15:53Newcastle lead 1-0 at the break, thanks to a fine corner move that was finished off by Murphy, who could have scored a couple more. The home side have dominated much of the first half, with Hermansen by far the busier keeper, as he’s been called into action to deny Gordon and Isak. Burn also went close with a header, as did Murphy with a low strike that he sent narrowly wide of the post. The Magpies kept up the pressure and finally got their reward after half an hour, with Hall playing a short corner and Gordon raced into the box on the overlap, before picking out Murphy on the edge of the box, who coolly slotted the ball into the bottom right corner of the net.
Newcastle United vs Leicester City
15:50HALF-TIME: NEWCASTLE 1-0 LEICESTER
Newcastle United vs Leicester City
15:47There will be a minimum of two minutes added time played at the end of the first half.
Newcastle United vs Leicester City
15:46There's not long left to play until the break now, can Newcastle double their lead before half-time? Or, will Leicester be able to create a chance and get an equaliser?
Newcastle United vs Leicester City
15:45Newcastle have won just one of their last seven Premier League home games against Leicester (D1 L5), though both times they’ve avoided defeat have come under Eddie Howe.
Newcastle United vs Leicester City
15:41Yellow Card Bruno Guimarães Rodriguez Moura
Newcastle United vs Leicester City
15:41CHANCE! Isak should make it 2-0! The striker breaks through on goal, he gets in behind the Leicester defence and only has Hermansen to beat, but his shot lacks pace and the keeper gets down to make a good save.
Newcastle United vs Leicester City
15:40Leicester are really struggling to offer anything going forward, they've only had one touch in the Newcastle box, compared to 21 for the home side in the Foxes penalty area.
Newcastle United vs Leicester City
15:37Hermansen is taking a long time to take his goal-kicks at the moment, he's had a couple of warnings from the referee for timewasting already. Not sure why the Leicester keeper would be slowing the clock down at this stage.
Newcastle United vs Leicester City
15:36It's all Newcastle, they're searching for a second goal and Leicester don't seem to have any response to going a goal down. Can they double their lead before the break?
Newcastle United vs Leicester City
15:36Yellow Card Jacob Kai Murphy
Newcastle United vs Leicester City
15:31Assist Anthony Michael Gordon
Newcastle United vs Leicester City
15:31Livramento now with a shot at goal, but he drags his effort wide of the post. The chances keep on coming for Newcastle.
Newcastle United vs Leicester City
15:31CHANCE! Isak is once again causing problems, he manages to lay the ball off to Murphy, who sees his first shot superbly blocked by Choudhury, before he picks up the rebound and tries to curl the ball into the bottom left corner, but it flies narrowly wide of the post.
Newcastle United vs Leicester City
15:27Decent strike! Joelinton tries to curl one into the top right corner, but it's a comfortable save for Hermansen in the Leicester goal.
Newcastle United vs Leicester City
15:26Leicester can't get out of their own half at the moment, they have everyone back defending as Newcastle continue to press forward and look dangerous in the box.
Newcastle United vs Leicester City
15:23Into the wall! Tonali steps up to take a free-kick around 25 yards out, but he drills his strike straight into the Leicester wall who do their job well.
Newcastle United vs Leicester City
15:22Good counter! Great run from Isak, who shows great feet to get all the way to the edge of the box and evade the challenge from Skipp. The striker lays it off to Murphy down the right, who fires a shot at goal, but his curling strike flies well wide.
Newcastle United vs Leicester City
15:21Yellow Card Oliver William Skipp
Newcastle United vs Leicester City
15:21Good strike! Joelinton tries his luck from the edge of the box, but his drilled effort is too close to Hermansen, who makes a decent stop.
Newcastle United vs Leicester City
15:19Newcastle are dominating possession at the moment, they're keeping it well, with Leicester unable to get it up the pitch towards Vardy.
Newcastle United vs Leicester City
15:17This is Van Nistelrooy’s seventh game in charge of a Premier League side in all competitions this season but the first time he’s managed a game away from home. In his playing career, the Dutchman played five games at St James’ Park and scored in every single game, the joint best 100% scoring ratio by a player at a venue along with Vardy at the Hawthorns.
Newcastle United vs Leicester City
15:14Decent chance! Gordon does well down the left wing, flicks the ball to Hall on the overlap who whips a cross into the box and it's met by Guimaraes at the far post. However, the Newcastle skipper heads over the bar.
Newcastle United vs Leicester City
15:12Newcastle have come to life now, those two goalscoring chances seem to have given them confidence and they look dangerous in the final third. The crowd are well and truly behind them as well, urging them forward.
Newcastle United vs Leicester City
15:11CHANCE! Another opportunity for Newcastle! This time it's Burn with the chance in front of goal. The centre-back rises above his marker as a cross is whipped into the box from the left and the defender powers a header towards goal. However, he gets too much on it and it flies over the crossbar! He should be doing better from there.
Newcastle United vs Leicester City
15:10CHANCE! Huge save by Hermansen to deny Gordon! The winger cuts in from the left wing, shifts the ball past a couple of Leicester defenders and then fires a shot towards the top left corner. However, Hermansen gets across and makes a great diving save to turn it away for a corner.
Newcastle United vs Leicester City
15:10This is a bit better from Newcastle, keeping it well at the back and taking their time to play the ball forward, with Leicester keeping their shape well and not allowing them much time or space in the middle of the pitch.
Newcastle United vs Leicester City
15:06Bright start here by the visitors, they're pressing forward in numbers and Newcastle don't look particularly comfortable at the back at the moment.
Newcastle United vs Leicester City
15:05Sloppy play early on by Newcastle, they've given the ball away very cheaply on two occassions already, with Murphy the latest to play a pass straight to Vardy. The striker sets Leicester up on the counter, but Murphy makes the foul and hands Leicester a free-kick in a decent position.
Newcastle United vs Leicester City
15:01We're under way!
Newcastle United vs Leicester City
14:58The teams are out on the pitch and kick off is just a few minutes away, stay tuned for all the match action!
Newcastle United vs Leicester City
14:53Newcastle have shipped 3+ goals in each of their last two Premier League games (3-3 vs Liverpool, 2-4 vs Brentford), last doing so in three games in a row in December and January last season. The Magpies have done so on 10 occasions in 2024, only doing so more often in 2021 (12) and 2014 (11) in a single year.
Newcastle United vs Leicester City
14:53The visitors have also made three changes, with Skipp, Choudhury and Mavididi all coming into the side, as Ruud Van Nistelrooy replaces Ndidi, Soumare and Ayew.
Newcastle United vs Leicester City
14:48Eddie Howe has made three changes to his starting line-up, with Pope missing out through injury, so he has been replaced in goal by Dubravka. Longstaff and Barnes are the others to miss out as they drop to the bench, with Tonali and Gordon coming into the team.
Newcastle United vs Leicester City
14:43LEICESTER SUBS: Danny Ward, Wout Faes, Caleb Okoli, Bobby De Cordova-Reid, Jordan Ayew, Patson Daka, Luke Thomas, Facundo Buonanotte, Henry Cartwright.
Newcastle United vs Leicester City
14:43LEICESTER (4-2-3-1): Mads Hermansen; Victor Kristiansen, Jannik Vestergaard, Conor Coady, James Justin; Oliver Skipp, Hamza Choudhury; Stephy Mavididi, Bilal El Khannouss, Kasey McAteer; Jamie Vardy.
Newcastle United vs Leicester City
14:38NEWCASTLE SUBS: Kieran Trippier, Harvey Barnes, Matt Targett, William Osula, Odysseas Vlachodimos, Miguel Almiron, Lloyd Kelly, Joe Willock, Sean Longstaff.
Newcastle United vs Leicester City
14:38NEWCASTLE (4-3-3): Martin Dubravka; Lewis Hall, Dan Burn, Fabian Schar, Tino Livramento; Joelinton, Bruno Guimaraes, Sandro Tonali; Anthony Gordon, Alexander Isak, Jacob Murphy.
Newcastle United vs Leicester City
14:33Newcastle are winless in their last four Premier League games, having lost two and drawn two, with their last game ending in a 4-2 defeat away at Brentford, to leave the Magpies 12th in the table. Meanwhile Leicester have picked up four points in their last two games, beating West Ham 3-1, before a 2-2 draw with Brighton last time out, a game in which the Foxes trailed until the 86th minute, but scored two late goals to take a point.
Newcastle United vs Leicester City
14:30Hello and welcome to our LIVE match commentary of the Premier League clash between Newcastle United and Leicester City at St James’ Park.
Newcastle United vs Leicester City
13:00Follow all the goals and latest action from the Premier League here with The Independent. Team news and line-ups coming up shortly…
