Newcastle United continued their pursuit of a return to the Champions League with a dominant 3-0 win over Leicester City.
After most other results went their way, it was exactly the performance Eddie Howe needed from his players to move them back up to fifth in the Premier League table.
The win puts Newcastle United level on points with Chelsea and just four points off Nottingham Forest in third place. Qualifying for the Champions League is the main goal, but it will feel much sweeter if they can bag third at the end of the season.
Harvey Barnes received a warm welcome back by Leicester fans upon his return to the King Power Stadium. The 27-year-old gave a muted celebration when he scored the Magpies third as a sign of respect to his former club.
| Position | Team | Played MP | Won W | Drawn D | Lost L | For GF | Against GA | Diff GD | Points Pts |
| 3 |  Nottm ForestNottingham Forest | 31 | 17 | 6 | 8 | 51 | 37 | 14 | 57 |
| 4 |  ChelseaChelsea | 31 | 15 | 8 | 8 | 54 | 37 | 17 | 53 |
| 5 |  NewcastleNewcastle | 30 | 16 | 5 | 9 | 52 | 39 | 13 | 53 |
| 6 |  Man CityManchester City | 31 | 15 | 7 | 9 | 57 | 40 | 17 | 52 |
Alexander Isak did not look himself for Newcastle against Leicester. The Swede had a quiet game before being substituted for Callum Wilson after 73 minutes. Howe confirmed Isak was fit and should be available for the game against Manchester United on Sunday.
While Newcastle celebrate yet another win, Troy Deeney has taken the time to give one of Newcastle’s unsung heroes his chance to shine.
- READ MORE – Eddie Howe reveals Newcastle United duo are forming ‘good relationship’ after starring in 3-0 Leicester win
Troy Deeney heaps praise on Jacob Murphy after Newcastle United brace
Jacob Murphy was on form once again as he bagged a brace against Leicester. The 30-year-old made it seven goals for the season in the Premier League. That, coupled with his nine assists, makes it his best-ever season for attacking returns since joining Newcastle in 2017.
Murphy praised Newcastle fans for their passion after the game, admitting that the team are eager to win more trophies after tasting glory in the Carabao Cup in March.
The winger has been a fantastic partner to star striker Isak this season, with the pair acting as one of Europe’s best attacking partnerships.
In his column for BBC Sport, Deeney named Murphy in his Team of the Week and claimed that he goes under the radar for how well he has played.
“Two great goals, has he been the most underrated player this season?” Deeney said.
“I would say I don’t know of anyone who has gone more under the radar, but has been a seven-and-a-half or an eight out of 10 every game. He’s been excellent.”
- Who is Jacob Murphy? The Newcastle United star who has transformed under Eddie Howe
Jacob Murphy was tipped to leave Newcastle United under Rafa Benitez
After joining from Norwich City for £12m, Murphy did not get off to the best of starts at Newcastle. The winger failed to make an impact in his first season, registering just two goal contributions in 25 games.
Murphy was then loaned out to West Brom in 2019 and Sheffield Wednesday for the 2019/20 campaign. All signs suggested that Murphy was going to leave Newcastle, but the winger fought back and has proven to be a key player under Howe this season.
Murphy never wanted to leave Newcastle, even when the feeling was that he did not have much of a future at the club.
Now, in 2025, Murphy is set to sign a new deal at Newcastle after changing agents as a reward for his hard work. Newcastle are set to sign a new winger in the summer, but Murphy will likely still be considered an important player for their games in Europe.
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