Newcastle United 0-0 Leicester City: Magpies secure Champions League spot as Foxes stay in relegation zone

Newcastle secured Champions League football for the first time since 2003 with a goalless home draw against relegation-threatened Leicester.

While a goalless draw rarely suits both sides, Newcastle will feel extremely satisfied with Champions League qualification secure, while Leicester can stay up if they beat West Ham on the final day and Everton do not beat Bournemouth.

Newcastle took a while to get going, Leicester defending the box fairly well. But as the first half wore on and the dropped ever deeper, the home side began to create, Miguel Almiron and Callum Wilson hitting the post and having shots cleared off the line.

The game took the same pattern after the break, Wout Faes inadvertently sending a front-post header over for Bruno Guimaraes at the back, but fearing he might head the post – with fair reason – he glanced onto it instead.

Otherwise, though, Leicester saw Newcastle away fairly easily, and could have won it in injury-time when Timothy Castagne’s volley was well saved by Nick Pope.

But though Leicester’s fate no longer remains in their own hands, they, like Newcastle, got what they came for.

TALKING POINT

Newcastle are back in the Champions League.

It has been 20 years since the Magpies last played in Europe’s premier club competition but they are now assured of finishing in the top four of the Premier League.

Qualification caps off a very impressive season for Eddie Howe’s side, who also reached the Carabao Cup final, where they lost to Manchester United.

Now it’s wait and see if Champions League qualification signals a summer of big spending for Newcastle.

PLAYER OF THE MATCH

Harry Soutar (Leicester City) Jonny Evans was excellent in the first hour but so was Soutar, and he was still there at the end.

PLAYER RATINGS

Newcastle: Pope 7, Trippier 7, Schar 6, Botman 6, Burn 6, Longstaff 6, Guimaraes 7, Anderson 6, Almiron 6, Wilson 6, Isak 6. Subs: Saint-Maximin 6, Murphy 6, Gordon 6.

Leicester: Iversen 6, Faes 7, Evans 8, Soutar 8, Castagne 7, Tielemans 6, Soumare 7, Thomas 6, Uheanacho 6, Vardy 6. Subs: Maddison 6, Barnes 6, Daka 6, Mendy 6.

KEY STAT

In this season’s Premier League, Newcastle have hit the frame of the goal 24 times – five more than any other side.

KEY MOMENTS

71′ – OFF THE POST! – Anderson wins a corner for Newcastle. It’s whipped into the front post, skims off the head of Faes and Guimaraes, six inches from goal, heads it straight onto the post and out! I’d say what a miss, but that flew at Guimaraes at a rate.

90+2′ – HUGE SAVE! – Oh my stars! Leicester take an age to work it into the box, but when Maddison finally does Castagne connects with a fierce volley from 12 yards out. It’s flying, but it’s straight at Pope who punches it away. Newcastle scramble it clear. Lordy!