Newcastle United will look to maintain their good start to the season when they take on Leicester City in the English Premier League. Both teams return to action after the World Cup break. The hosts made a poor start to the season but a recent run of victories have helped them to move out of the relegation zone. Newcastle United are starting to enjoy success under the new ownership and currently sits in the European places. Both teams have a lot of talented individuals and are on a good run of form. We now look at some of the stats that could predict the outcome of the match.
After a poor start of one point in the first seven matches, Leicester City are back on track with 16 points in the next eight matches. Overall, the team has won five, drawn two, and lost eight matches this season. They have scored and conceded 25 goals each. The Foxes average 1.07 xG and 1.39 xGA per match this season. Leicester City’s home run is a bit of a concern as they have earned eight points in seven matches. The above viz shows the percentile rank of the team in comparison to the other teams in the English Premier League. It can be observed that the Foxes like to keep hold of the ball and build their plays. They average 49.13% possession per match this season.
Newcastle United are sitting third in the league table with eight wins, six draws, and only one loss. They are on a 10-match unbeaten run and a five-match winning streak. The Magpies have scored 29 goals with an xG rate of 1.96 and conceded 11 goals with an xGA rate of 1.18. The above viz shows that Newcastle United are a very attacking side and are involved in a lot of defensive actions as well. This early-season success has raised hopes for a top-four finish.
The attacking stats
Both teams have managed to score a fair amount of goals this season. Newcastle United have been a better attacking side and have better stats. Leicester City have scored goals but failed to create a lot of chances.
The Magpies take 13.2 shots per match and have an accuracy rate of 35.4%. The Foxes, on the other hand, attempt 10.2 shots and have an accuracy rate of 42.5%. At home, they take 9.86 shots per match with an accuracy rate of 37.6%. Newcastle United have a low shooting average away from home. They take 10.14 shots and have an accuracy rate of 35.2%. The above viz depicts a benchmarking of the xG generated per shot. Newcastle United have a high ranking, while Leicester City players have the worst record in the league. Brendan Rodgers’ men have failed to get into good goal-scoring positions and are ranked at the bottom. Both teams will look for room for improvement in this match.
Newcastle United players like to get inside the penalty box and score from there. They manage to take 21 touches inside the penalty box per 90 minutes, while Leicester struggles to do so and only averages 12 touches. This shows that the Magpies like to work the ball inside the penalty box and take most of their attempts. This has helped them maintain a high xG rate in the league.
The aerial battle
Both teams have good aerial strength and are ranked in the top three for winning aerial duels this season. The home team contests 35 aerial duels per match, while their opponents contest 34.27 duels. They will test each other’s aerial strength in this match.
Key Players
James Maddison will be a key figure in Leicester City’s attack. The attacking midfielder has seven goals and four assists to his name in 13 league appearances. The above viz shows that Maddison has a good percentile rank in both the passing and attacking departments. He will carry the highest threat for the Foxes.
Miguel Almiron will be the main threat for Newcastle United. He has made 15 league appearances and scored eight goals with one assist. The winger likes to get into the opposition penalty box and is not afraid of taking shots towards the goal. He will carry the most threat in this match.
Team news
James Maddison missed the midweek game but will be available for selection in this game. James Justin, Jonny Evans, Caglar Soyuncu, Ricardo Pereira, and Ryan Bertrand will be missing the match.
Alexander Isak is still out with an injury, as are Emil Krafth and Paul Dummett. Eddie Howe is expected to start with the same lineup he used against Bournemouth in midweek.
Leicester City will look to end Newcastle United’s unbeaten streak in the league. They have won their last two matches and are looking to rise in the league table. The Magpies, on the other hand, are looking to maintain their hold on the European places and are the favourites to take three points from this match.
Visuals via TFA data viz engine
