Newcastle United travel to Leicester City on Monday night looking to continue their push for Champions League football.
The Magpies have won their last three games in all competitions, the second of these being the Carabao Cup final as Newcastle ended their 70-year wait for a major domestic trophy.
It couldn’t be more different for Ruud van Nistelrooy’s side, Leicester without a win in seven games.
Yet Newcastle manager Eddie Howe was complimentary about the Foxes on Friday, singling out one player in particular.
Eddie Howe praises Jamie Vardy for his ‘unique qualities’
Speaking in his pre-match press conference, Howe focused on the threat Jamie Vardy poses up top for the Foxes.
The 47-year-old said: “Jame Vardy is still a massive threat and he brings his unique qualities that we are going to need to control.”
Howe added: “We are going to have to be on our guard. There are no easy games in this league.”
The former Bournemouth manager also spoke well of van Nistelrooy’s side despite their current form.
Howe was eager to ensure his side were focused ahead of the game, emphasising: “[Leicester] will believe they have a chance [of avoiding relegation]. I always look at how teams play, and Leicester have been very competitive. We know they are dangerous.”
With Howe revealing multiple Newcastle players as doubts for the game, the Foxes might just have a slim chance of putting points on the board for the first time since the 2-1 win at Tottenham in January.
Jamie Vardy’s record against Newcastle United
Howe was right to focus on Vardy’s qualities.
According to Transfermarkt, the Leicester legend has provided eight goal contributions in 14 Premier League games against Newcastle, scoring five and laying on three assists.
| Appearances | Goals | Assists |
| 14 | 5 | 3 |
Most notoriously, at St James’ Park in Leicester’s 2015/16 title-winning season, the former England international scored in his 10th successive match, equalling van Nistelrooy’s record.
Vardy would then break that goalscoring record against Manchester United next time out, netting in his 11th consecutive game.
With Leicester without a goal in seven games, and with Vardy still two goals away from reaching 200 for the club, he’ll be more eager than anyone to net against the Magpies once again.