Brendan Rodgers believes Newcastle United have a 'great chance' of mounting a challenge for the Premier League title. The Magpies returned to top-flight action with an emphatic Boxing Day victory at Leicester City to move into second spot.
Eddie Howe's side raced into a two-goal lead after just seven minutes, with Chris Wood opening the scoring from the penalty spot before Miguel Almiron netted his ninth strike of the season. Joelinton extended this advantage just after the half-hour mark, and the visitors were rarely threatened as the 3-0 victory extended their winning streak to eight matches in all competitions.
The latest success has lifted Newcastle above defending champions Manchester City, although Guardiola's side have two matches in hand to overturn a one-point deficit. Howe was unsurprisingly reluctant to be drawn on title talk, with focus now shifting to the visit of Leeds United on New Year's Eve.
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However, Rodgers is adamant the Magpies could be among the contenders come the end of the season if they bolster the squad further in the January transfer window. The Foxes boss singled out Sven Botman for extensive praise in his post-match press conference, and believes the 'fanatical' support at St James' Park will give Howe's side a 'great chance' of competing.
When asked if Newcastle are in the title conversation, Rodgers answered: "Absolutely. Having watched them through the season and seeing them today, they've obviously got that hunger there with a point to prove. You make a great start and that gives you the freedom that you can stay there.
"They've obviously had some really good results, the players they've signed are top players. Botman is a proper player, he knows football, he's big, aggressive and defends the box well. Kieran Trippier is very experienced player and knows the game, and you have Dan Burn in alongside that.
"The guys that were brought in January, the likes of Guimaraes, and in Joelinton you have guys who are developing and improving. There's no reason why they can't be in it if they can make the squad stronger in January.
"I felt like with the likes of ourselves when we dropped out when we were fifth, at the end of the season we lost really important players. So if they can cover players that might get injured and keep everyone else fit, they can be up there and about it. With the home support and the fanatical fanbase, they're going to have a great chance."
It was a disappointing Premier League return for Leicester, who will face Newcastle in the Carabao Cup quarter-final on January 10. The Foxes were ruthlessly punished in the opening minutes of the contest, and Rodgers had no complaints about the final result.
The Leicester boss added: "The start of the game was nowhere near what we would want and expect. The best team won, Newcastle were much better than us. We kept going, tried to change it at half-time with an extra player in midfield and an extra striker up front to change it about.
"We lacked quality in the final third of the pitch. The best team won, we have to go away and get ready for our next one."
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