LEICESTER, United Kingdom: Newcastle coasted to a 3-0 win over sorry Leicester on Monday to step up their Champions League charge and condemn the Foxes to an eighth straight Premier League defeat without scoring.
Eddie Howe’s men, still on a high after winning the League Cup last month, are up to fifth in the table, level on points with fourth-placed Chelsea, but with a game in hand.
Fifth place will almost certainly be enough to secure a place in the Champions League next season after strong performances by English clubs in continental competition.
But Ruud van Nistelrooy’s hapless team are heading back down to the Championship after a solitary season in the Premier League.
The visitors were 2-0 up in the 11th minute after two goals from Jacob Murphy, the second a tap-in from close range after an audacious effort from Fabian Schar hit the crossbar, and Harvey Barnes added a third before half-time.
Leicester were brighter in the second half but could not end their goal drought in the league, which stretches back to January.
The opening moments of the contest gave false hope to the long-suffering home fans as Jamie Vardy tested Nick Pope in the visitors’ goal.
Newcastle were ahead in the just second minute after Tino Livramento squared for Murphy to tap home after an attack down the left.
Minutes later time stood still as Schar, spotting goalkeeper Mads Hermansen off his line, nearly scored from his own half.
His effort cannoned off the crossbar but landed at the feet of Murphy, who was the only player to react.
The game was effectively over before half-time when former Leicester player Barnes finished from close range after Hermansen saved from Joelinton, declining to celebrate.
Van Nistelrooy introduced Stephy Mavididi and Facundo Buonanotte for Victor Kristiansen and Patson Daka at the interval and the game was more even in the second period, but Leicester struggled to make an impact.
The home fans cheered the entrance of 15-year-old Jeremy Monga late in the game as he became the second-youngest Premier League player.
Newcastle, whose fortunes have been transformed since a Saudi-funded takeover in 2021, are eyeing another season in the Champions League after exiting at the group stage in the 2023/24 campaign — after two decades away.
Howe, who led Newcastle to their first major trophy in 56 years against Liverpool at Wembley last month, has the chance to add gloss to a historic season.
But it is a tight battle — only six points separate third-placed Nottingham Forest from Aston Villa in seventh spot.
Van Nistelroy arrived at the King Power Stadium in November after a spell as interim manager at Manchester United but results have nosedived after an encouraging start.
The shock 2016 Premier League champions are almost certain to be joined in the second tier by Ipswich, who also came up last season.
Basement club Southampton are the only club whose relegation has been confirmed.
Newcastle step up Champions League chase with Leicester win
https://arab.news/bd3f3
Newcastle step up Champions League chase with Leicester win
- Fifth place will almost certainly be enough to secure a place in the Champions League next season after strong performances by English clubs in continental competition
Pakistan cruise past Sri Lanka in T20I opener
- Pakistan beat Sri Lanka by six wickets as Shadab Khan takes two wickets, Sahibzada Farhan smashes 50
- Pakistan cricket team will play all their upcoming T20 World Cup 2026 fixtures in Sri Lanka next month
DAMBULLA, Sri Lanka: Pakistan underlined their credentials as serious contenders for the upcoming T20 World Cup with a commanding six-wicket win over Sri Lanka in the opening match of the three-game series in Dambulla on Wednesday.
Touted as a dress rehearsal for the World Cup, which Sri Lanka will co-host with India, the series holds added significance for Pakistan, who will play all their tournament matches on the island owing to political tensions with their nuclear-armed neighbors.
Pakistan ticked most boxes on the night, first bottling Sri Lanka up for a modest 128 and then knocking off the target with 20 deliveries to spare, barely breaking sweat.
The game tilted decisively in Pakistan’s favor early, with Shadab Khan ripping the heart out of the Sri Lankan innings by striking twice in his very first over.
The leg-spinner, returning after shoulder surgery and playing his first match for Pakistan since June last year, marked his comeback with a telling spell.
“When you are coming back from injury it is tough. You have to start from zero but the surface was helping me. We have our eyes on the World Cup. With all our games being played here in Sri Lanka, this is a very good series for us,” player-of-the-match Shadab said.
Abrar Ahmed complemented Shadab neatly, finishing with 3-25, while left-arm quick Salman Mirza bowled with fire, mopping up the tail with figures of 3-18 as Sri Lanka were bowled out with four balls unused.
During the run chase, openers Saim Ayub and Sahibzada Farhan flew out of the blocks, racing to 50 in just 25 balls.
Nuwan Thushara bore the brunt of the assault, conceding 31 runs in his first two overs as Pakistan seized early control.
Farhan anchored the chase with a fluent 51 off 36 balls, peppered with four fours and two sixes — his eighth T20I half-century — as Pakistan cruised home without alarm.
For Sri Lanka, the defeat compounds a turbulent lead-up to the series that saw captain Charith Asalanka axed, chairman of selectors Upul Tharanga shown the door and the coaching staff reshuffled.
With little time to catch their breath, the hosts face a swift rethink ahead of the second match on Friday at the same venue.
“We didn’t get a good start and lost too many wickets. That is an issue we need to address. We recovered well and should have got over 150, but we lost quick wickets,” Sri Lanka captain Dasun Shanaka said.
