Newcastle v Leicester: Premier League predictions, where to watch and free tip

Free football tips, best bets and analysis for Newcastle v Leicester in the Premier League on Sunday

Where to watch

Sky Sports Main Event & Premier League, 2.15pm Sunday

Best bet

Leicester to win to nil
1pt 9-5 Paddy Power

Team news

Newcastle
Isaac Hayden will miss the game through suspension. Ryan Fraser remains sidelined with a groin injury, while Jamaal Lascelles and Allan Saint-Maximin continue to self-isolate.

Leicester
James Maddison and Wesley Fofana should both return to at least the bench following recent knocks. Caglar Soyuncu is also in contention, as is Cengiz Under, who looks to have recovered from a hamstring injury.

Match preview

Top-four hopefuls Leicester will be looking for history to repeat itself when they head to Newcastle on Sunday.

The Foxes have won their last four Premier League trips to St James' Park, keeping clean sheets in three of those, and they face a team struggling for confidence.

After a difficult end to 2020, Steve Bruce will hope a new calendar can provide a fresh start for his side.

The Magpies are one of the clubs who have been most affected by coronavirus and, with key players missing, they have failed to win their last five in all competitions.

Bruce has always been a pragmatic manager but with no goals in their last three, the perception is that his current tactics are bordering on negative.

However, there were positives to take from Wednesday's 0-0 against Liverpool, most notably goalkeeper Karl Darlow's performance. The 30-year-old has grown in Martin Dubravka's absence and although the Slovak returns to the matchday squad, Darlow should keep his place for another busy afternoon.

And the return of Jamie Vardy for Leicester is likely to be what keeps him the busiest. The striker cut a frustrated figure after being named on the bench for Monday's 1-1 draw at Crystal Palace but helped inspire his side following his introduction on 65 minutes.

Vardy has contributed to more than half of Leicester's goals this season and while at 33 he needs to manage his fitness, strikers are often more aggrieved than most when left out.

The former England man missed the Foxes' last trip to St James's Park, a 3-0 win on New Year's Day 2020. He did though net twice in the reverse fixture earlier in the campaign when his team ran out 5-0 winners and that brace means he has been involved in six goals in his last seven league games against Newcastle.

What's more, nine of his 11 strikes this season have come on the road and he has contributed to his team winning six of their eight away matches.

The Foxes could do with a similar performance in this game and have a remarkable record of avoiding defeat in their first game of the new year, havingg done so for the last 12 seasons.

Sometimes teams are just suited to playing against a particular opponent and with Vardy back and likely to be firing, it's hard to look past Brendan Rodgers' men.

Key stat

Leicester have won their last four Premier League trips to Newcastle by an aggregate scoreline of 11-2.

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