Newcastle ended a four-match winless streak in the Premier League with an emphatic victory, handing new Leicester manager Ruud van Nistelrooy his first defeat in charge.

 Newcastle bounced back from a four-match winless streak with a dominant 4-0 victory over Leicester, handing new manager Ruud van Nistelrooy his first defeat at the helm. The Magpies controlled the first half and broke the deadlock when Jacob Murphy, who had missed two earlier chances, fired a low shot into the corner following a well-executed corner routine.

Alexander Isak missed a one-on-one with Leicester goalkeeper Mads Hermansen, but Newcastle remained relentless. They quickly made it 3-0 within five minutes of the second half. Bruno Guimaraes scored with a close-range header from another set-piece, followed by Isak, who nodded in a deflected cross from Lewis Hall.

Murphy, who had fired over earlier, made it 4-0 with a low shot past substitute keeper Danny Ward. Isak also had another chance, sidefooting straight at Ward, while Sandro Tonali and Harvey Barnes could have added to the scoreline, but their efforts went wide.

Newcastle’s victory lifted them to 11th in the Premier League, while Leicester remained 16th, just two points above the relegation zone. Despite a recent inconsistent run, the win showed positive signs for Eddie Howe’s team, who are now within reach of European spots.

Newcastle caused Leicester problems down the left side, with Anthony Gordon especially lively, and although they should have been ahead by halftime, their clinical second-half finishing sealed the win. The Magpies have now scored 27 shots in the game, with 11 on target.

Next up for Newcastle is a trip to Ipswich, followed by key fixtures against Aston Villa, Manchester United, and Tottenham. They also face Brentford in the Carabao Cup quarter-final on Wednesday.

For Leicester, it was a disappointing performance as they were outplayed in all areas of the pitch. Missing key players like Wilfred Ndidi and Boubakary Soumare, Van Nistelrooy’s side struggled to create chances and were fortunate not to lose by a bigger margin. Despite a late push before halftime, they couldn’t threaten Martin Dubravka’s goal. The Foxes now face a must-win match against Wolves next weekend, followed by challenging games against Liverpool and Manchester City.