GOOD EVENING! Hello again and welcome along to Friday football in the Premier League. This is becoming quite a common occurrence all of a sudden. And we've still got Everton v Burnley and Liverpool v Huddersfield to come before the season's out. What a way to start the weekend, hey. Tonight sees two former Liverpool managers lock horns in the Midlands, and two teams in contrasting form. Leicester are going for five in a row, the first time that will have happened in two years. Newcastle will be keen for their season not to fizzle out after two straight defeats, Team news is on its way.
Premier League / Matchday 34
King Power Stadium / 12.04.2019
/dnl.eurosport.com/sd/img/match/football-header-bg-mobile.jpg)
/images.sports.gracenote.com/images/lib/basic/sport/football/club/logo/300/4693.png){kind=logo}
/images.sports.gracenote.com/images/lib/basic/sport/football/club/logo/300/4087.png){kind=logo}
- A. Pérez(32')
Live
Live Updates
:focal(147x151:149x149)/origin-imgresizer.eurosport.com/2015/03/26/1443759-30872147-310-310.jpg)
Updated 12/04/2019 at 20:53 GMT
19.54
Final instructions from the managers are now being handed over to the teams in the sactuary of the dressing room. Let's hope this one doesn't have an end-of-season feel to it.
Maddison has created 92 chances this season - more than any other player in Europe's top five leagues. Newcastle will have to be defensively stubborn tonight.
/origin-imgresizer.eurosport.com/2019/04/12/2564378-53186270-2560-1440.jpg)
Image credit: Getty Images
19.45
COUNTDOWN TO KICK OFF!
We've got around quarter of an hour to go before this one gets underway. Leicester are just finihsing off their warm-up. Still time to pur yourself that cuppa!
19.41
MATCH STATS!
- Leicester have won five of their last six league encounters with Newcastle (L1) - as many as they'd won in their previous 29 (W5 D8 L16).
- Newcastle are looking to win consecutive away games against Leicester in the top-flight for the first time since September 1959 under Charlie Mitten.
- Leicester have played more Premier League games on a Friday without a victory than any other side in the competition (P6 W0 D2 L4). Meanwhile, Newcastle have lost more Premier League games on Friday than any other side (6).
- Leicester have won their last three home Premier League games, as many as they had in their previous 12 at the King Power Stadium (W3 D2 L7). They last won four in a row at home in May 2017 (a run of five).
19.38
LAST ENCOUNTER
In the reverse fixture, Leicester inflicted a fourth straight home defeat on Newcastle since the start of the season as Jamie Vardy and Harry Maguire scored in a 2-0 win at St James' Park.
Rafa Benitez’s team won 2-1 at the King Power last season with goals from Jonjo Shelvey and Ayoze Perez, while Vardy notched a late consolation for the Foxes.
/origin-imgresizer.eurosport.com/2019/04/12/2564363-53185970-2560-1440.jpg)
Image credit: Getty Images
19.30
BENITEZ: WE CAN'T GET COMPLACENT
Newcastle remain just seven points clear of the relegation zone and – while a win over the Foxes should prove enough to ensure survival – Rafa Benitez believes the challenge could have become more difficult than it first appeared.
“We know that we are close and we just have to keep pushing and not play with any complacency – just try to do what we did for so many months,” stressed Benitez.
“I said before that 38 points could be enough but now maybe not. We just have to try and get three points and the rest of the things depend sometimes on the results at the weekend.
“I think they (Leicester) are a very good team – they have won some games in a row and they have some more confidence.
“(But) we just have to approach every game with confidence and calm and we just have to believe.
“We are doing well, we are quite solid but we are just missing that final pass which is costing us three points.”
/origin-imgresizer.eurosport.com/2019/04/12/2564348-53185670-2560-1440.jpg)
Image credit: Getty Images
19.25
Leicester City
MAGUIRE SALUTES RODGERS IMPACT
Harry Maguire has saluted Brendan Rodgers’ impact as Leicester target their best run for two years.
The Foxes are seventh, leading the race for a possible Europa League spot, and Maguire believes Rodgers’ influence is key.
“He’s a really good coach who will improve us as a team massively. The club has shown really great ambition in luring him here,” said the England defender.
“He breeds confidence into players, he’s helping to bring the younger players through, does a lot of work on the training pitch and his man management is really top. He’s made a really big impact.
“Over the last four games, we’ve started to pick up results we’ve warranted.
“We’re scoring the first goal in a lot of games which is really important so we can kick on and get a second and third.
“The performances have been really good and I think in every game, we’ve deserved to win.”
/origin-imgresizer.eurosport.com/2019/04/12/2564344-53185590-2560-1440.jpg)
Image credit: Getty Images
19.16
We've got 45 minutes before this one kicks off, so let us take a moment to appreciate the man on the front of tonight's programme.
James Maddison has been one of the signings of the season, a snip at £25million, and bought of course by Brendan Rodgers' predecessor, Claude Puel.
Maddison's form dipped with the rest of the side as Puel was eventually dismissed earlier this year, but he has returned to his best form in Leicester's run of four straight wins. You sense an England call isn't too far away.
/origin-imgresizer.eurosport.com/2019/04/12/2564336-53185430-2560-1440.jpg)
Image credit: Getty Images
19.08
Newcastle United
TEAM NEWS! Two changes to the Newcastle team that lost 1-0 at home to Crystal Palace. Javier Manquillo and Paul Dummett come in for DeAndre Yedlin, who drops to the bench, and the injured Florian Lejeune.
Newcastle: Dubravka, Manquillo, Lascelles, Schar, Dummett, Ritchie, Ki, Hayden, Almiron, Perez, Rondon.
Subs: Darlow, Fernandez, Yedlin, Shelvey, Diame, Atsu, Muto.
19.06
Leicester City
TEAM NEWS! Leicester make one change from the side that beat Huddersfield last time out as Harry Maguire returns in place of Caglar Soyuncu.
Leicester: Schmiechel, Ricardo, Morgan, Maguire, Chilwell, Ndidi, Tielemans, Gray, Maddison, Barnes, Vardy.
Subs: Ward, Evans, Fuchs, Mendy, Albrighton, Okazaki, Iheanacho.