Ruud van Nistelrooy’s unbeaten start as Leicester City manager came to a crushing halt with a 4-0 defeat against Newcastle United at St James’ Park.
The hosts dominated proceedings with Jacob Murphy scoring twice, while Bruno Guimarães and Alexander Isak added to Leicester’s misery.
Although some Foxes fans argued that Guimarães should have been sent off in the first half, it’s unlikely that decision would have altered the outcome of a dismal display.
Van Nistelrooy will be particularly concerned by one glaring statistic that highlighted the lack of fight in his midfield.
Midfield Struggles Exposed
With key midfielders Boubakary Soumaré, Wilfred Ndidi, and Harry Winks all unavailable, Hamza Choudhury and Oliver Skipp were handed starts but failed to seize the opportunity.
In fact, it took until the 60th minute for either player to make a tackle, leaving Newcastle free to dictate the game in midfield.
The pair were overrun throughout, offering little resistance or control. Choudhury was substituted in the second half, and with only untested youngster Henry Cartwright on the bench, Van Nistelrooy will be desperate for reinforcements ahead of next week’s clash with Wolves.
Skipp and Choudhury’s Performances in Numbers
According to Sofascore, Choudhury and Skipp were two of Leicester’s poorest performers on the day. Skipp received a rating of just 6.2, while Choudhury managed a marginally better 6.5 before being replaced by Caleb Okoli.
With Soumaré returning from suspension and hopes that Winks will also be fit for the next game, it would be a surprise if either Choudhury or Skipp retained their starting spots.
Van Nistelrooy will be hoping to bounce back quickly, with a vital fixture against Wolves on the horizon.
After such an uninspiring showing in the Northeast, Leicester’s midfield will need to rediscover its bite if they are to recover their form and stay clear of further trouble.
