Minute-by-minute updates from the 8pm BST kick-offBenítez likens contract talks with Ashley to BrexitEmail your thoughts to Nick, or tweet him @NickAmes82 7.53pm BST Nearly time to get started at the King Power. Newcastle were very drab at Arsenal the other week and even worse at West Ham a bit before that. When they’re dull they can be very dull, but they’d had a few ding-dongs this season too so let’s hope this is one of those. 7.36pm BST Before we crack on here, please take the time to read this quite startling and, in places, deeply upsetting investigation by Jacob Steinberg into racism in English football: Related: From parks to Premier League: the shocking scale of racism in English football 7.33pm BST Hugh Molloy writes about Harry Maguire and Jamaal Lascelles: “I’ve always thought Lascelles is an excellent player and I’m constantly surprised he’s not coveted by a top-six club. Quality and experience – he’s got the England age-group pedigree and he’s young for a CB at 25 but still captain of his club which shows character. If Maguire is was valued at £70m by Leicester then someone could get a bargain here – or am I missing something?!”It’s a good point, and Lascelles is certainly better on the ball than Maguire too. 7.27pm BST Aditya Iyengar writes in: “The race for seventh looks to be as interesting as the title – although Wolves, much like City, would be mad if they blew it up. As a diehard QPR fan from India, it pains me to recall how we were a fair match for Wolves last season, beating them at Loftus Road. In one year’s time, they are among the Best of the Rest and we’ve been whacked by a second string Rotherham at home. How times change!”I’ll have to take issue with your first half-sentence there, Aditya, although I agree that it’s certainly going to be tight. 7.21pm BST I really like that Leicester midfield, don’t you? Youri Tielemans is such a lovely player and it’d be some accomplishment to get him tied down for next season and beyond. James Maddison is one of the most exciting creative forces around and Wilfried Ndidi’s sheer energy and efficiency complement them perfectly. They’re all still young, too! Easy to see how Rodgers is so excited about getting his teeth into this lot. 7.12pm BST Leicester: Schmeichel, Ricardo Pereira, Morgan, Maguire, Chilwell, Ndidi, Gray, Tielemans, Maddison, Barnes, Vardy. Subs: Evans, Iheanacho, Albrighton, Ward, Okazaki, Mendy, Fuchs.Newcastle: Dubravka, Manquillo, Schar, Lascelles, Dummett, Ritchie, Perez, Hayden, Ki,Almiron, Rondon. Subs: Shelvey, Diame, Muto, Fernandez, Yedlin, Darlow, Atsu. 10.45am BST Friday night brings you . the latest instalment in the battle for seventh. I know! Well, only one of those teams is in the running for that and it’s Leicester, on a roll with four wins from their last four under Brendan Rodgers, who sit pretty as the Best Of The Rest. It’s a rather new twist on Arsène Wenger’s old “fourth place is like a trophy” mantra, and to be honest the fact it’s had to be confected says a lot about the state of the Premier League at the moment – but it should mean a place in the Europa League qualifying rounds so, well, why not go for it? And Leicester are, in and of themselves, already quite a nice watch in the Brendan era. You’d give them a good shout of building pretty well for next season, however this one turns out.Newcastle could still go down. I mean, they’re not going to but they could, and three points here would probably put any fears to bed. Rafa Benitez’s first game in charge of the Magpies was a defeat at the King Power in the year they went down and Leicester became Best Of The . Everyone. There is a severe risk this could be one of his last and a positive result might help expedite the drawn-out contract draws that are fraying nerves across Tyneside. But who knows what is going on in Mike Ashley’s head? Continue readingreadfullarticle
