DO NOT expect any of Newcastle’s current crop to ever be challenging for a place in the club’s all-time team.
The Toon were yesterday celebrating their 125th anniversary, marking the occasion by revealing the results of a vote for their greatest XI.
Yet legends like Alan Shearer will have watched on and winced last night as Rafa Benitez’s boys slumped to a sixth defeat in seven games.
And embarrassingly, it was one of Newcastle’s own players who wrecked the party.
Dwight Gayle looked to have salvaged a point for the Toon late on, after Riyad Mahrez and Demarai Gray had struck to put Leicester ahead following Joselu’s early opener.
But just four minutes from time, home sub Ayoze Perez clipped into his own net as he tried to tackle fellow replacement Shinji Okazaki. And as well as spoiling his club’s celebrations, it meant his troubled team are now just three points clear of safety.
It is the first time boss Benitez has ever lost straight Premier League home matches as a manager.
Yet he will not be the only one concerned by his struggling side’s slump, as owner Mike Ashley must fear the price of his club is plummeting.
The Sports Direct tycoon this week met potential buyer Amanda Staveley for a curry in London as they tried to strike a deal. But not fee has yet been agreed and there is no way Staveley will up her current offer of less than £300million with Newcastle in such danger of going down.
It had actually all started so brightly at St James’ Park last night, with the teams walking out to a sea of black and white, with fans having been given free flags.
Specially commissioned banners were also unfurled, marking some of the greatest moments in the club’s history.
And pumped up by the party atmosphere, the Toon came flying out of the traps and went ahead after just four minutes – their first home goal since October.
Jacob Murphy played over the top for Gayle to race down the left wing.
And the striker cut back for Joselu, who, with Kasper Schmeichel out of position, comfortably stroked the ball home from ten yards. They almost had a second soon after when Gayle struck just wide from the edge of the box.
But instead it was Leicester who levelled after 20 minutes.
Mikel Merino’s loose pass just inside his own half fell to Wilfred Ndidi, who nudged the ball to Mahrez.
And the Algeria ace rushed at the Newcastle defence before unleashing from 25 yards, although Karl Darlow should still really have kept it out, with the ball flying through his fingers.
Darlow’s box was soon coming under siege from the Foxes, who wanted a penalty when Mahrez sent through Jamie Vardy and the striker went down under DeAndre Yedlin’s recovery tackle. The American, though, got a tiny nick on the ball and referee Neil Swarbrick ignored the visitors’ appeals, much to the disgust of Claude Puel, who was as animated as you ever see him.
Newcastle nearly went into half-time ahead when Ben Chilwell gifted the pall to Murphy on the edge of his box, but Schmeichel dived to save the winger’s strike.
But the Foxes took a deserved lead on the hour through their best player.
Mahrez’s raking pass found Albrighton in space on the left and he cushioned it back first time to Gray, who took a touch and then volleyed the bouncing ball off Florian Lejeune. If Newcastle were cursing the wicked deflection, they benefited from one 13 minutes later. After some head tennis in the box following a Toon corner, the ball found its way to Gayle on the ridge edge of the area.
And the home hitman cut onto his left and shot past Schmeichel, via a massive nick off Harry Maguire.
But it was to be Leicester who had the final say – breaking through Vardy, whose pass across to Okazaki was poked in by Perez.
From The Sun
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