Jacob Murphy fist pumping while on the back of Fabian ScharGetty Images

Jacob Murphy also scored twice against Leicester in December

Charlotte Coates
BBC Sport journalist

Free-scoring Newcastle heaped more misery on relegation-bound Leicester as the Magpies' Champions League pursuit gathered further momentum.

The three points for Eddie Howe's side lifted them above Manchester City into fifth place in the Premier League and level on points with fourth-placed Chelsea, despite still having a game in hand.

Leicester, meanwhile, became the first side in the top four tiers of English football to lose eight home league games in a row without finding the net, as they sit 15 points from safety with seven games remaining.

The scoring started inside the opening two minutes, with Jacob Murphy scoring the first of two tap-ins after some great work down the left wing by Tino Livramento.

Murphy's second came less than 10 minutes later when Fabian Schar almost scored the goal of the season, but his audacious effort from inside his own half struck the crossbar - with the Newcastle winger reacting fastest to finish the rebound.

Twenty-four minutes then passed before Howe's men extended their lead further as Joelinton easily cut inside Wout Faes and forced a diving save out of Mads Hermansen, but former Foxes winger Harvey Barnes reacted first to make it 3-0 as the boos rang out around King Power Stadium.

The Foxes, who passed the 12-hour mark without scoring a goal, came within inches of finding the back of the net but Patson Daka's strike hit the inside of both posts before rolling into the hands of Nick Pope.

With the points in the bag for the Magpies following a rampant first period, Howe had the luxury of taking off key players Joelinton, Bruno Guimaraes, Murphy and Alexander Isak - with the visit of Ruben Amorim's Manchester United side on Sunday very much on the mind.

As the match slowed in tempo, Ruud van Nistelrooy turned to his bench and brought on 15-year-old forward Jeremy Monga - making him the second youngest player, behind Arsenal's Ethan Nwaneri, to play in the Premier League.

Leicester will look to avoid a 10th loss on the spin on Saturday when they take on Brighton at Amex Stadium.

Leicester create unwanted history

Leicester not good enough - Van Nistelrooy on 'difficult night'

The Foxes' dismal run of eight home league games in a row without scoring a goal beats Watford's previous record of seven, set between December 1971 and March 1972.

On top of that, Leicester fell to an 11th home league defeat - the most in a single league campaign in their 141-year history.

It is extremely bleak for Van Nistelrooy's side and that was echoed with the number of empty seats around King Power Stadium.

In truth, the game was over for the Foxes after 10 minutes once Murphy scored his second of the evening.

The life had been well and truly sucked out of Leicester, with boos coming from the home support after some loose passes.

Leicester looked like they would show some fight after Jamie Vardy forced Nick Pope into a save after just 20 seconds, but it was all downhill from there. The opening goal was netted less than two minutes later.

Leicester's relegation to the Championship is not mathematically confirmed just yet, but it may as well be.

Newcastle in prime position for top four

Howe 'really pleased' with 'massive' Newcastle win

Fifth spot in the Premier League is looking as though it will be enough for a Champions League place next season, but Newcastle want to go one better and nail down a top-four spot - which they are very much on course to do.

Their third league win on the spin moved them ahead of Manchester City into fifth and they now sit level on points with Chelsea - having played a game fewer.

With two very winnable home games coming up next, against Manchester United and Crystal Palace, it is no wonder confidence is rife among Magpies fans.

Howe's side certainly did not turn up thinking the three points were in the bag as they started the game on the front foot.

The foot was not taken off the gas as Schar's tremendous effort from inside his own half rebounded off the crossbar and allowed Murphy to finish his second of the night.

It could have been distracting for Newcastle to come up against a side where there was such obvious unrest in the stadium, but they remained professional and more than got the job done.

After securing that famous Carabao Cup win, the Magpies now firmly have their sights set on returning to Europe's elite competition next season.

Player of the match

J. Murphy
7.60
33 L. Thomas
5.52
93 J. Monga
5.18
21 Ricardo Pereira
3.78
30 M. Hermansen
3.69
9 J. Vardy
3.45
4 C. Coady
3.39
40 F. Buonanotte
3.37
10 S. Mavididi
3.36
11 B. El Khannouss
3.34
6 W. Ndidi
3.25
2 J. Justin
3.15
20 P. Daka
3.13
24 B. Soumaré
3.10
16 V. Kristiansen
3.10
3 W. Faes
3.05
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