Leicester City’s impressive start to the season under Brendan Rodgers continued with a thumping win which left woeful Newcastle anchored in the relegation zone.
Ricardo Pereira’s outstanding low finish set Leicester on their way before Newcastle were reduced to 10 men shortly before half-time after Isaac Hayden’s terrible challenge on Dennis Praet.
Leicester made the extra man advantage count with three goals in 10 second-half minutes.
Jamie Vardy beat Martin Dubravka at his near post to double the lead and, after Paul Dummett had deflected Praet’s cross into his own net to make it 3-0, headed the fourth.
On a miserable day for Newcastle, Wilfred Ndidi added a late fifth goal with a shot on the turn.
- Reaction from King Power Stadium as Leicester hammer Newcastle
Leicester move back up to third in the table, where they started the weekend, after a fourth win in five league and cup games.
Rodgers’ side are two points off second placed Manchester City and seven behind leaders Liverpool, who they visit next Saturday.
Leicester thriving under Rodgers
Rodgers will have a spring in his step when he makes his first return to Anfield since being sacked by Liverpool in 2015.
This was Leicester’s 10th – and almost certainly easiest – top-flight win in 18 games since they appointed Rodgers as boss in February.
Rejuvenated and full of energy, they have been transformed by the former Celtic manager who took over a team drained of confidence and starved of wins seven months ago.
Only Manchester City and Liverpool have accumulated more points than Leicester in the Premier League since Rodgers’ appointment and Newcastle can count themselves fortunate not to have been on the end of an even heavier thrashing.
Leicester produced a clinical performance and scored from all five of their shots on target.
Portugal defender Pereira’s second goal in as many top-flight games set the tone for an utterly dominant performance – the former Porto player starting the move inside his own half before finishing after a neat one-two with former Newcastle player Ayoze Perez.
After Hayden’s red card, Leicester swarmed their opponents yet Dubravka should have kept out Vardy’s first goal.
Dummett’s own goal added to Newcastle’s woes yet Leicester were not done as unmarked Vardy made it 4-0 with a close range header before Ndidi hit his side’s fifth.
More to follow.
Line-ups
Leicester
Substitutes
Newcastle
Substitutes
Match Stats
Live Text
Match ends, Leicester City 5, Newcastle United 0.
Full Time
Second Half ends, Leicester City 5, Newcastle United 0.
Goal!
Goal! Leicester City 5, Newcastle United 0. Wilfred Ndidi (Leicester City) right footed shot from the centre of the box to the bottom left corner. Assisted by Jonny Evans with a headed pass.
Corner, Leicester City. Conceded by Christian Atsu.
Corner, Leicester City. Conceded by Fabian Schär.
Booking
Fabian Schär (Newcastle United) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
Wilfred Ndidi (Leicester City) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Foul by Fabian Schär (Newcastle United).
Foul by Marc Albrighton (Leicester City).
Emil Krafth (Newcastle United) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Substitution
Substitution, Leicester City. Demarai Gray replaces Ayoze Pérez.
Hand ball by Ricardo Pereira (Leicester City).
Foul by Ayoze Pérez (Leicester City).
Paul Dummett (Newcastle United) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Substitution
Substitution, Leicester City. Hamza Choudhury replaces Dennis Praet.
Çaglar Söyüncü (Leicester City) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Foul by DeAndre Yedlin (Newcastle United).
Corner, Leicester City. Conceded by Emil Krafth.
Corner, Leicester City. Conceded by Sean Longstaff.
Attempt blocked. Youri Tielemans (Leicester City) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked. Assisted by Marc Albrighton.
Substitution
Substitution, Newcastle United. DeAndre Yedlin replaces Miguel Almirón.
Attempt missed. Youri Tielemans (Leicester City) right footed shot from outside the box is too high. Assisted by Wilfred Ndidi with a headed pass.
Foul by Marc Albrighton (Leicester City).
Ki Sung-yueng (Newcastle United) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Marc Albrighton (Leicester City) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Foul by Sean Longstaff (Newcastle United).
Corner, Leicester City. Conceded by Jamaal Lascelles.
Offside, Newcastle United. Fabian Schär tries a through ball, but Andy Carroll is caught offside.
Goal!
Goal! Leicester City 4, Newcastle United 0. Jamie Vardy (Leicester City) header from very close range to the centre of the goal. Assisted by Marc Albrighton.
Substitution
Substitution, Newcastle United. Andy Carroll replaces Joelinton.
Foul by Dennis Praet (Leicester City).
Ki Sung-yueng (Newcastle United) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Substitution
Substitution, Leicester City. Marc Albrighton replaces Harvey Barnes.
Goal!
Own Goal by Paul Dummett, Newcastle United. Leicester City 3, Newcastle United 0.
Goal!
Goal! Leicester City 2, Newcastle United 0. Jamie Vardy (Leicester City) left footed shot from the left side of the box to the bottom left corner. Assisted by Harvey Barnes.
Foul by Wilfred Ndidi (Leicester City).
Christian Atsu (Newcastle United) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Foul by Harvey Barnes (Leicester City).
Emil Krafth (Newcastle United) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Attempt missed. Jamie Vardy (Leicester City) header from the centre of the box misses to the right. Assisted by Ben Chilwell with a cross.
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