Okazaki overhead kick ruins Benitez bow

Okazaki's excellent finish midway through the first half lit up an otherwise quiet affair at the King Power Stadium as Claudio Ranieri's men re-established a five-point lead over Tottenham at the top of the table.

Published : Mar 15, 2016 11:39 IST , London

Shinji Okazaki scores an acrobatic goal against Newcastle United.
Shinji Okazaki scores an acrobatic goal against Newcastle United.
lightbox-info

Shinji Okazaki scores an acrobatic goal against Newcastle United.

Shinji Okazaki's overhead kick proved decisive as Premier League leader Leicester City defeated Newcastle United 1-0 in Rafael Benitez's first game in charge on Monday.

> Match Centre

Okazaki's excellent finish midway through the first half lit up an otherwise quiet affair at the King Power Stadium as Claudio Ranieri's men re-established a five-point lead over Tottenham at the top of the table.

Leicester has won six of its last eight league games and show no sign of buckling under the pressure, with only eight more matches left to negotiate as its remarkable bid for the title goes on.

Newcastle, which was more steady in defence but lacked an attacking punch, remain 19th in the table and have now suffered defeat in six of their last seven league outings.

> Ranieri says 'the pressure is on others' to outfox Leicester

After defeat in his debut match, Benitez's attention immediately turns to a pivotal derby against neighbour and fellow struggler Sunderland on Sunday, a match that could go a long way to determining the fate of the north-east rivals.

Leicester, meanwhile, is now guaranteed to be top of the pile come the beginning of April and will hope to continue Crystal Palace's woeful Premier League form at Selhurst Park on Saturday.

Benitez, who made two changes in his first selection, saw the visitor make a solid start with Ayoze Perez and Moussa Sissoko both off target with early efforts, but it was unchanged Leicester which took the lead on 25 minutes.

Newcastle did not take two chances to clear its lines from a Riyad Mahrez free-kick and Marc Albrighton's follow-up cross, allowing Jamie Vardy to head back across the face of goal, with Okazaki's acrobatic effort doing the rest from just outside the six-yard box.

Albrighton almost doubled the advantage when he collected Vardy's pass and charged towards goal before curling a shot just wide from the edge of the area.

Benitez brought on Andros Townsend early in the second half and Perez lashed an effort against the side netting, but neither goalkeeper was overly tested throughout the contest.

Siem de Jong and Seydou Doumbia were also introduced, but Newcastle was struggling to make an impression with Leicester content to hold on to its one-goal lead - earned from its only shot on target - and attempt to threaten on the counter-attack.

After latching on to Townsend's cross, Sissoko had a volley blocked by the arm of Wes Morgan from close range in the final stages, but referee Craig Pawson was unmoved as Benitez's reign began with a defeat and Leicester kept its title push on course.


Key Opta stats:

- Leicester has won 12 games by a single goal this season, more than any other Premier League team.
- The Foxes has lost just one of its last 18 Premier League games at the King Power Stadium (W12 D5 L1).
- Leicester has scored in 27 Premier League games this season, more than any other team.
- Claudio Ranieri's team's last seven PL goals have been scored by seven different players (including one own goal).

Sign in to unlock all user benefits
  • Get notified on top games and events
  • Save stories to read later
  • Access to comment on every story
  • Sign up / manage to our newsletters with a single click
  • Get notified by email for early bird access to discounts & offers to our products
Sign in

Comments

Comments have to be in English, and in full sentences. They cannot be abusive or personal. Please abide to our community guidelines for posting your comment