Newcastle United will be looking to start the New Year on a high note when they welcome Leicester City to the St. James’ Park in the 2019-20 Premier League campaign on January 01.
Leicester City got back to winning ways after a 0-4 loss to Liverpool by beating West Ham United by two goals to one at the London Stadium. The Foxes will continue their push to catch leaders Liverpool despite the Reds taking a 16 point gap.
The Magpies have suffered back-to-back defeats against Manchester United and Everton respectively. A win will likely help in their push to go further above the relegation zone, with seven points currently enough to keep them above Aston Villa who are 18th.
Steve Bruce will feel his team will need to keep with the pace of the top teams if they are to have any chances of finishing in the top half of the table while Brendan Rodgers will be hoping to capitalize on playing early to keep the pressure on Liverpool.
WHEN AND WHERE?
Venue: St. James’ Park
Date: Wednesday, 01 January 2020
Time: 15:00 GMT
Newcastle have lost their last three Premier League home games against Leicester, as many as they had in their previous 22 against the Foxes at St James’ Park in the top-flight (W13 D6 L3).
Leicester won the reverse fixture against Newcastle 5-0, their joint-biggest margin of victory against the Magpies in the top-flight (also 6-1 in January 1930). The only previous Premier League season that Leicester did the double over Newcastle was their title winning campaign of 2015-16.
Newcastle have won their first league game of a calendar year in just one of the last seven years (D1 L5), beating Stoke 1-0 0n New Year’s Day in 2018.
Leicester haven’t lost their first league game of a calendar year since 2008 (1-3 vs QPR in the Championship), winning seven and drawing four since then. The Foxes have also won five of their last six league games on New Year’s Day (D1).
Newcastle United haven’t lost three Premier League games in a row since October 2018 under Rafael Benitez.
TEAM NEWS
The likes of Jamaal Lascelles and Allan Saint-Maximin are both out for Steve Bruce’s side while the fitness of Ciaran Clark, Fabian Schar, Florian Lejeune, Joelinton, Matt Ritchie, Paul Dummett and Ki Sung-yueng are all in doubts
The Foxes have no injury concerns going into the clash with West Ham, with Matty James close to returning from injury. The likes of Soyuncu, Ben Chilwell, James Maddison and Jamie Vardy could all return to the starting lineup after getting rest.
POSSIBLE STARTING LINEUPS
Newcastle: Dubravka; Schar, Fernandez, Lejeune; Yedlin, Hayden, Shelvey, S. Longstaff, Willems; Almiron; Carroll.
Leicester: Schmeichel; Pereira, Evans, Soyuncu. Chilwell; Perez, Tielemans, Ndidi, Maddison, Barnes; Vardy.
PREDICTION
Newcastle United 0-2 Leicester City
