Alan Shearer has branded Newcastle United as ‘great’ after the Magpies’ 3-0 win over Leicester City.
Eddie Howe’s side returned to Premier League action in emphatic fashion. The World Cup break clearly hasn’t hindered Newcastle, who ended the first half of the season in impressive form.
Boxing Day marked the return of Premier League football, and Newcastle played like they had never been away.
The Magpies blew Leicester away in the first half, with all three goals coming in the opening 45 minutes. They were 2-0 up within the first 10 minutes, with Chris Wood’s penalty and Miguel Almiron’s unbelievable goal putting Newcastle in a commanding position.
Once Joelinton got the third from a corner, the Magpies never looked like losing. It was dominant from Newcastle, who dropped off in the second half and frustrated a Leicester side that couldn’t find a way past Nick Pope.
Vibrant in attack, rock solid at the back – Newcastle were immense against Leicester, and Toon legend Alan Shearer was absolutely delighted with the performance. And the opposition made it even sweeter for the Match Of The Day pundit.
Shearer delighted to get one over on Lineker as Newcastle beat Leicester
After the game, Shearer took to Twitter to celebrate. He also poked fun at his BBC colleague and Leicester fan Gary Lineker.
“That’s three points for the Toon and 3 goals and a clean sheet,” Shearer wrote.
“What a great performance. Should be a good Match Of The Day! What time we on Gary Lineker?”
Outstanding overall performance
It was a wonderful afternoon for Newcastle fans, watching their team return to Premier League action and move up to second in the Premier League.
And it will have been even more enjoyable for Shearer, who got to watch the game alongside Foxes fan Lineker. And Newcastle’s all-time leading scorer will no doubt continue to laud the win over Lineker during Match Of The Day tonight on BBC.
Toon supporters will be excited to watch the win back, as it was a fantastic performance. So many individuals delivered at the King Power, culminating in a team display that was typical of a team that is challenging for a place in the Champions League.
Defensively, we were immense. The arrival of Jamie Vardy threatened the change things, but Sven Botman proved why he is one of the signings of the season as he kept the Foxes’ number nine quiet.
In the middle, Bruno was the Magpies’ man of the match. He got a wonderful assist, and dominated the midfield battle. He really excelled after a disappointing World Cup with Brazil.
And up top, each member of the front three got on the scoresheet. It was great to see Wood find the net, having come in for Callum Wilson who was out due to illness.
Seeing Newcastle win comfortably is becoming a regular occurrence, which is a startling sight for the Toon Army. This is going to take some getting used to.
Shearer loved what he saw, and will no doubt continue telling Lineker just how good Newcastle were against Leicester.
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