Newcastle's Jacob Murphy gives Van Nistelrooy a sobering lesson on Leicester | first division

Only time will tell whether Ruud van Nistelrooy's honeymoon as Leicester manager ended here or was simply cut short. Likewise, it is too early to predict whether this will come to be regarded as a turning point in Newcastle's so far unstable season but, after four games without a win, they have certainly managed to scoff at suggestions that Eddie Howe could be destined for to the bag.

While he recently celebrated his third anniversary in charge on Tyneside, Van Nistelrooy suffered his first defeat in three games since taking charge. How the 48-year-old must have wished he was still wearing his old shooting boots rather than watching with growing dismay from the edge of the technical area as his team emphasized precisely why they remain in danger of relegation.

As a striker for Manchester United, Van Nistelrooy scored 11 goals in 10 games against Newcastle. No other opponent suffered so consistently from his attacking threat but now, on a cold, wet December day, it was the Dutchman's turn to feel the pain.

It's not that I've lost my humor yet. “A difficult game?” someone ventured at the press conference. “That?” was the response, with a smile. “My team tried, but playing in Newcastle is a big challenge. It was a difficult afternoon but it is a long season, we reflected and came out of this better.”

Jacob Murphy had already squandered two extremely presentable shooting opportunities when his first-time right-footed shot from the edge of the area beat Mads Hermansen, slightly wide, after a clever short corner routine culminated in a clever cut-back from the influential Anthony Gordon.

Although the home team struggled to get going, Leicester lacked the stabilizing midfield influence of the paralyzed Wilfred Ndidi and failed to retain possession well enough to take the proper lead on the counter-attack. By the time of Murphy's 30th-minute breakthrough, they were in completely unsustainable backs-to-the-wall mode and Van Nistelrooy did not seem very impressed with the retired Hamza Choudhury, whose industriousness proved wholly ineffective in an oft-dictated central midfield department. by the outstanding Sandro Tonalí. The Italian's intelligent performance was emblematic of his team's amalgamation of technical excellence and high-intensity athleticism.

The injured Hermansen was replaced by Danny Ward at half-time and the newcomer found himself knocking the ball out of his goal almost immediately when Bruno Guimarães, enjoying a more attacking midfield role, headed the ball out of reach after a shot. free of Gordon. Header from the impressive left back Lewis Hall.

Ward, making his first league appearance in 22 months, barely had time to dust himself off before being beaten by another header. This time the scorer was Alexander Isak, the Swedish striker who delighted in finishing a cross from the overlapping Hall, deflected into its path by Conor Coady.

At that point Martin Dubravka, replacing the injured Nick Pope in the home goal, had yet to make a save, but when Kasey McAteer finally shot, it was so tame that the Slovakian goalkeeper probably could have stopped it in his sleep. In contrast, poor Ward was quickly left helpless when Murphy's second goal, another first-time shot taken after disorienting footwork by Isak, whistled past his legs.

Compensating for last Saturday's 4-2 defeat at Brentford, it was more than satisfactory, but Howe knows things may be a little more complicated when they get here for Wednesday's Carabao Cup quarter-final.

Meanwhile, Van Nistelrooy has a lot to reflect on. Perhaps significantly, at the final whistle the Leicester manager approached Miguel Almirón, an unused local substitute destined to be dropped in January, and whispered something in the ear of the Paraguayan striker who initially looked quite surprised but then beamed.

Howe was smiling too. “It's a great victory for many reasons,” he said. “There was a lot of pressure on the players and it is a huge boost. “We're disappointed we haven't been able to play like that more often this season.”