3 Things we learned: Newcastle 1-2 Leicester

The match against Newcastle was no exception: a game deprived of any sort of quality and chances was turned on its head by two well taken goals. Maddison and Tielemans hit both efforts like tracer bullets and that was all that needed. Apart from Harvey Barnes’ late chance, they were the only two shots on target.

When confronted with low block teams who make it difficult to play with any sort of fluidity, sides need to be efficient and take chances. At St James’ Park, it was that efficiency that gave them the three points when on other occasions it was Leicester City’s downfall.

4-2-3-1 preferred against low block

So far for the majority of this season Leicester City have deployed a back five due to ‘superior opposition’ or injuries. Usually this formation proves to be very fruitful, particularly on away days, when they can sit deep. In addition, on the counter-attack using their width and incredible direct pace to really hurt teams.

However, Rodgers seems to use this formation in really strange games – West Ham and Brighton at home, in the Brighton game he had to revert to a back four – which has been the Foxes’ downfall. Thankfully a back four was used against the Magpies, which gave Leicester control in all areas of the pitch.

At the back you don’t really have any scares because Wilfred Ndidi is so imperious in the middle of park that he breaks up the play well before the opposition is pressuring the backline. This means the fullbacks can join wingers in attack, with Maddison and Tielemans combining to help Jamie Vardy up top, much the same as the last campaign.

Instead of using a 4-3-3, a 4-2-3-1 means the Belgian can help the Nigerian at the back both in and out of possession – as he proved today; leaving Maddison to get into positions where he can do some serious damage. There’s no denying that without Ndidi this formation wouldn’t be used, but it also seems as thought Rodgers has at least sorted this problem out.