Two sides in desperate need of points meet at the King Power Stadium on Monday evening as Leicester take on Newcastle United.
Going into this weekend’s fixtures, the Foxes were staring down the barrel of relegation from the Premier League. Sitting 12 points adrift of safety and with just eight games left, their chance of survival is low. Still, they will keep fighting until it becomes mathematically impossible.
Monday’s opponents Newcastle United won’t make it easy. The League Cup winners still have a chance of qualifying for the Champions League and will want to keep up the pressure on their rivals.
They sit within a pack of teams including Manchester City, Chelsea and Aston Villa battling for fourth place. All of them play before Monday, so the landscape may look quite different going into this game.
LEICESTER VS NEWCASTLE UNITED PREVIEW
Leicester go into this game off the back of a dismal run that has seen them pick up just one win since beating West Ham 3-1 on 3 December. This was a 2-1 victory at Spurs on 26 January.
The Foxes lost against Manchester City on Wednesday and will need to improve dramatically to have any chance of survival. They need 12 points just to escape the relegation zone. This means they need to win as many games in the final two months of the season as they have managed across the whole season so far.
In contrast, Newcastle have won their last three in all competitions including the League Cup final against Liverpool three weeks ago. They followed this up with a 2-1 home win over Brentford in the Premier League on Wednesday.
The Magpies have won three of their last four in the Premier League and will be confident against a Leicester side they decimated at St James’ Park. A Jacob Murphy brace was complimented by goals from Bruno Guimarães and Aleksander Isak for a 4-0 win on 14 December. This was Ruud van Nistelrooy’s first defeat as Leicester boss and kicked off the poor run of form from which they have never recovered.
The last time the two teams met at the King Power Stadium was on Boxing Day 2022. A Chris Wood penalty in the third minute sent the Magpies on their way. Newcastle were 2-0 up inside eight minutes through Miguel Almirón before Joelinton made it three just after the half-hour mark.
Recent head-to-head form, along with their performances in 2025, aren’t on the side of Leicester.
LEICESTER VS NEWCASTLE UNITED – PREDICTIONS
Leicester Win
Leicester are at home and need the points, but there is little else you can say beyond that. The Premier League is full of surprises though and if they can get an early goal, anything is possible. However, they have not scored once in their last six games.
Draw
Newcastle haven’t drawn in the Premier League since hosting Liverpool on 4 December. Meanwhile, Leicester’s last draw was against Brighton four days later. The signs don’t point to a draw, but Leicester being at home could tip the balance slightly in their favour. If Newcastle are shot-shy, 0-0 is a possibility. Note only one of the last 20 games between Leicester and Newcastle has ended in a draw.
Newcastle United Win
Newcastle need to secure the points for their European aspirations and are on a strong run of form. They are unbeaten in their last five matches against the Foxes, winning four of them. They also won their last away game in the Premier League, against West Ham 1-0.
LEICESTER VS NEWCASTLE UNITED – BETTING TIPS
Newcastle United Win
It’s very hard to look beyond Newcastle winning here. Leicester are on a dismal run of form and are in all likelihood already relegated. Meanwhile, the Magpies are flying and will be determined to cement a place in the Champions League next season.
Alexander Isak to Score
Alexander Isak scored his 20th Premier League goal against Brentford in midweek and will relish his chances against the second-leakiest defence in the Premier League. Leicester have conceded 67 goals this season, an average of 2.23 a game, while Manchester United scored three in the last match at the King Power Stadium.
HEAD-TO-HEAD AND KEY STATS
- Leicester and Newcastle have played each other 135 times, with the Foxes winning 49 encounters. The Magpies have won 58, while there have been 28 draws.
- Newcastle are unbeaten in their last five games against Leicester, winning four of them.
- There has only been one draw in the last 20 matches between the two sides. This was a goalless affair at St James’ Park back in May 2023.
- At least one side has kept a clean sheet in each of the last four matches, and five of the last six, between the two teams.
- Leicester last scored a Premier League goal on 26 January, in a 2-1 victory over Tottenham. Their last goal in all competitions was against Manchester United in a 2-1 FA Cup defeat on 7 February. They have not scored in six games.
