NEWCASTLE’S top stars turned up and delivered to kick off the biggest week of their season so far in a Ruud awakening for Van Nistelrooy at Leicester.
The Manchester United legend watched on in horror as his team capitulated at St. James’ Park as ruthless Toon tore them to shreds as he suffered his first defeat in charge.
Jacob Murphy grabbed two while Bruno Guimaraes and Alexander Isak scored as finally Eddie Howe’s top talents turned on the magic against a struggling side.
They’ve threatened to do it several times this term without success, and their lack of clinicalness has proven costly over recent weeks.
But everything went right for them here and they now head into Wednesday’s Carabao Cup quarter-final with Brentford full of confidence.
Anthony Gordon admitted this week that all the talk of a summer move to Liverpool had affected his form this season as he asked to be left alone to just enjoy his football.
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And he looked to be doing exactly that early on when he got the crowd going by cutting in from the left and unleashing a powerful strike straight towards the top corner.
Mads Hermansen made a flying save to tip that one wide and Dan Burn headed over from the resulting corner as the Magpies continued to build up momentum.
Joelinton had already fired a long-ranger straight at Hermansen before another vicious attempt from the Brazilian left Hamza Choudhury seeing stars.
The ball smashed straight into the Leicester star’s head, with Murphy curling the loose ball wide.
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The right winger opted for style over substance on that occasion, however, it was all power shortly after when he broke the deadlock on the half hour.
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It all came from a well-worked set-piece that caught the visiting defence sleeping.
A short corner was fed into Sandro Tonali, with the Italian then slipping it behind a defender for Gordon to race on to.
The winger darted towards the byline before cutting it all the way back for Murphy to sweep home first-time into the bottom corner.
Isak could, and should, have doubled the advantage when he was sent through between two defenders but shot straight at the ‘keeper.
Leicester surprisingly changed keepers at the break, presumably through injury, and the first two things Hermansen’s replacement Danny Ward had to do was pick the ball out the net.
Van Nistelrooy’s half time plans went straight out the window as they were undone by some more slack marking at a set-piece.
Gordon swung a free-kick that Lewis Hall headed back across goal and that allowed Bruno Guimaraes to nod in from close-range at the back post.
Newcastle’s storming start continued as they made it three on 50 minutes, this time it was Hall’s deflected cross that went straight into the path of Isak to head home from three yards with Leicester’s marking completely non-existent.
Van Nistelrooy had seen enough as Caleb Okoli, Facundo Buonanotte and Patson Daka replaced Hamza Choudhury, Stephy Mavididi and Jamie Vardy.
But the triple change, just like the Dutchman’s words at the break, had little effect as the implosion continued.
Isak, who had just been denied a second by Ward, turned provider for Murphy to drill the ball through the goalie’s legs on the hour mark to secure his brace.
But there would be no hat-trick for the 29-year-old ex-Norwich man as Howe brought him off to a huge ovation with former Leicester flanker Harvey Barnes taking over out wide.
He came close three times to getting his name on the scoresheet, but the Toon Army were happy to settle for four as they now switch focus to the Carabao Cup.
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Meanwhile, the hard work starts now for Van Nistelrooy and Leicester to try and prevent a harsh winter for the strugglers.
And with a derby against Wolves to come next weekend and a trip to Anfield after that, it could prove to be a defining 11 days or so in their own campaign.
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
