OPINION
Newcastle United look to have ensured their Premier League survival for another year with a tremendous 1-0 win away at in-form Leicester City on Friday night.
The Foxes have been doing great since Brendan Rodgers came in, but Rafael Benitez cooked up a tactical masterclass to ensure his side would be taking all three points back to the North East.
A first half strike from Ayoze Perez – a delightful header – was enough to claim victory at the King Power Stadium, and Benitez will be delighted with his side’s efforts.
As usual there is much to be gleaned from the game, and Nothing but Newcastle has rounded up three things that can be learned from Newcastle’s win over Leicester.
Schar is top four quality
What a signing Fabian Schar has been for the Magpies this season. The Swiss international was absolutely unbelievable on Friday, proving once again that he is good enough to go right to the top of the Premier League.
No Newcastle fan will be wanting that to happen, of course, but there can be no doubt that Schar wouldn’t look out of place in Liverpool’s or Manchester City’s team. The 27-year-old, aside from being a terrific defender, caused Leicester problems all night long as he brought the ball out from the back.
His quality on the ball is what separates him from other centre halves. He is a magician of a defender in terms of technical ability. We saw that again on Friday in another remarkable performance.
Dubravka firmly back to his best
Newcastle goalkeeper Martin Dubravka hasn’t had the most straightforward of seasons. In fact, since the turn of the year the Slovakian has had a tricky time of it due to high profile and costly errors.
However, it’s clear after this display that the Magpies’ number one is very much back to his best. He made a number of crucial saves as Benitez’s team ground out the result in the second half.
This is a very talented shot-stopper and he was always going to come good. However, it’s reassuring for the Toon Army to see him back at full strength.
Perez proves worth yet again
Perez is a difference maker, there’s no doubt about that. He can be as frustrating as he is enthralling, but ultimately it’s worth sticking with the Spaniard because he can produce moments of quality like he did on Friday.
His header to open the scoring was simply superb. He angled the ball beautifully and didn’t give Kasper Schmeichel a chance in the Leicester goal. It really was fantastic to watch.
What most stood out about the 25-year-old’s performance at the King Power, though, was his willingness to track back. He never stopped running, helping his defenders out and ensuring that his team would be going home with all three points in the bag.
