Newcastle United vs Leicester City. Premier League.
St James' Park, NewcastleAttendance50,151.
Sunday 22 November 2015 08:14, UK
Jamie Vardy scored for a record-equalling 10th consecutive Premier League game as Leicester City went top of the Premier League with a 3-0 win at Newcastle.
The Leicester striker netted on the stroke of half-time as he became just the second man to achieve the feat alongside Ruud van Nistelrooy - which the Dutchman managed for Manchester United in 2003 - before Leonardo Ulloa and substitute Shinji Okazaki added two more after half-time.
Defeats elsewhere for Manchester City and Arsenal on Saturday meant that Leicester go a point clear at the top of the table, while Newcastle are left teetering above the relegation zone in 17th place.
Newcastle boss Steve McClaren named an unchanged side for the third consecutive game, having claimed four points from their last two, but it did not help them in the early stages as the away side dominated from the off.
Both Foxes strikers Ulloa and Vardy had good opportunities in the opening minutes, with only last-ditch defending and a bit of bad luck in the box preventing them from taking the lead.
Newcastle improved as the half went on, but were unlucky to lose midfielder Cheick Tiote through injury after 20 minutes when he overstretched in an attempt to receive a pass.
With the home side's midfield enforcer now missing, Leicester continued to push forward and Vardy had another excellent chance to score before being denied by Rob Elliot, but finally beat the Newcastle goalkeeper in first-half stoppage time.
Vardy played a one-two with Ulloa, drove behind Newcastle's defence into the box and cut inside before showing superb composure to fire inside the near post.
There were shades of offside about the goal as Vardy raced through onto the pass, but there was just enough doubt in the linesman's mind for him not to raise his flag as the Foxes forward celebrated his milestone strike.
He is now just one behind Stan Mortensen's all-time record of 11 in a row in the top division - set back in the 1950-51 season.
Leicester began the second half as they started the first, with Vardy rattling the bar as he went in search for a second, and soon afterwards it was 2-0 thanks to his strike partner Ulloa.
Riyad Mahrez, superb all afternoon, bamboozled Paul Dummett before crossing for the big striker, who was completely unmarked at the far post to head home his first of the season and his fourth goal in the last three against Newcastle in all competitions.
The goal completely deflated the home side, who threw on Papiss Cisse in an attempt to get back into the game, but it was only ever Leicester who looked likely to score again.
They did just that with seven minutes to go as Okazaki, who replaced Ulloa, scrambled the ball over the line after Elliot had kept out Danny Simpson.
Vardy will get the headlines, though, and he will head into next Saturday's clash against Van Nistelrooy's former club Manchester United - live on Sky - with the Dutchman's record there to be broken.
Paul Merson's Soccer Saturday verdict.
"I don't think Leicester are going anywhere [from the top] at the moment. They were absolutely outstanding. The way they move the ball… they've got so much pace. I don't think Newcastle will have had a run-around like this for a long time.
"It was unbelievable. The crowd were booing, going mad. Leicester were so good it's hard to explain. It looked like a smash-and-grab. I've never seen anything like it.
"You can make a film about it [Jamie Vardy]. It's just a phenomenal story - especially for every lad who's playing non-league football at the moment - and every scout of all these Football League and Premier League clubs should be looking down there because there's got to be talent."
Player ratings
Newcastle: Elliot (6), Janmaat (4), Coloccini (4), Mbemba (4), Dummett (4), Sissoko (5), Anita (4), Tiote (5), Wijnaldum (4), Perez (4), Mitrovic (4)
Subs used: Thauvin (5), Cisse (4), De Jong (5)
Leicester: Schmeichel (6), Morgan (6), Huth (7), Simpson (7), Fuchs (7), Drinkwater (7), Albrighton (7), Kante (7), Mahrez (8), Vardy (8), Ulloa (7)
Subs used: Okazaki (6), King (5), Dyer (5)
Man of the match: Jamie Vardy
