Leicester (H) Pre-match thoughts, team news, possible line-ups & prediction
The big day has arrived. Not just our final home game of the season, but our opportunity to bring Champions League football back to St James' Park after 21 years away.
12 months ago, we celebrated staying up in style with a 2-0 win over Arsenal. Today, we know a win or draw would guarantee a top-four finish following results over the past few days.
Last week's 4-1 win over Brighton felt massive. The performance was brilliant, our approach was brave and the atmosphere was magical, with everyone inside the stadium realising the importance of late goals from Callum Wilson and Bruno Guimaraes.
If that wasn't enough, Aston Villa offered us a helping hand on Saturday, coming away from Anfield with a 1-1 draw - a result that leaves us on the brink of joining Europe's elite. The situation is clear; pick up a point in either of our last two games against Leicester and Chelsea and it's done. Even if we lose twice (which we haven't done in back-to-back league games all season!), it would take a big goal difference swing for Liverpool to pip us to the post.
Speaking ahead of the game, Howe urged players and fans to go again - but warns it'll be a 'totally different' tactical battle against a relegation-battling Foxes side:
“We’ll want the same again. I’ve got no doubt the crowd will be there for us.”
“We really have to take the good feeling from Brighton and the confidence that game should give us but then forget it and focus purely on a totally different game.”
“Tactically, it will be totally different but we have to be ready for a tough match. The energy we gave in the Brighton game and the intensity we played at, that’s the standard for us and that’s what we want to try to re-create."
Team news
Sean Longstaff has trained over the past 24 hours, giving him a chance of returning to the squad, but Joe Willock will miss out with a hamstring injury picked up on Thursday night.
It's hoped Joelinton and Kieran Trippier will be OK, despite limping off against Brighton, yet it seems less likely that Jacob Murphy returns following a groin problem.
Lewis Miley could make the bench once again, but Matt Ritchie (knee) and Jamaal Lascelles (calf), Emil Krafth (ACL) and Ryan Fraser (training with our U21s) will miss out.
For the visitors, Kelechi Iheanacho could return, Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall is 'touch and go' and Atletico Madrid-bound Caglar Soyuncu is expected to miss out.
Predicted line ups
(4-3-3): Pope – Trippier, Schar, Botman, Burn – Anderson, Bruno, Joelinton – Almiron, Wilson, Isak.
I'd normally expect Howe to rotate for our second game in five days - especially when we put in such a huge shift and pressed so intensely against Brighton - but I don't see him experimenting with a winning formula so late in the day.
Injuries will dictate a lot - it remains to be seen if the likes of Trippier and Joelinton are OK to play. However, both are machines and our two bionic men, so I am fairly confident they'll be fine.
Willock's season is surely over, though, creating the perfect opportunity for Anderson. He did a good job from the bench last week and was talked up by Howe in his pre-Leicester presser, so I can see the 20-year-old making his first Premier League start here.
Longstaff could return to the bench if he has come through training OK, but I doubt Howe will take that risk, instead backing our Geordie Maradona to get the job done. After his wrong disallowed goal against Forest, how good would it be to send him score the goal that secures our top-four spot?!
The debate goes on regarding Isak's ability to play on the left and Saint-Maximin is fit again. Both will be licking their lips against a leaky Leicester defence, but I see the Swede starting out wide, with Wilson up top and gunning for that 20-goal mark. Miguel Almiron also deserves to keep his place after his incredible work on and off the ball against Brighton.
Prediction
It's important not to get TOO far ahead of ourselves. It may feel like it's done, but we can't let complacency slip in and expect to stroll it.
The good news is Eddie Howe and this group of lads haven't taken their foot off the gas all season. We proved last week we thrive under pressure and will have taken so much confidence from that 4-1 win. The pre-match atmosphere should be brilliant and the players desperate to deliver a top-four finish on our final St James' Park outing of a truly memorable 2022/23 season.
Leicester looked shocking in their last away game - a 5-3 defeat at Fulham - and let their heads drop as soon as Liverpool went ahead at the King Power seven days ago. Toon targets James Maddison and Harves Barnes offer plenty of quality, but Dean Smith's Foxes lack fight and could be in for another hiding if they concede early.
Isak and Almiron to get back amongst the goals, Anderson to shine and Eddie's Mags to secure Champions League football in style!
Prediction: Newcastle 4-1 Leicester
HWTL!
