Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
Chronicle Live
Chronicle Live
Sport
Aaron Stokes

Bruno's fan gesture and Rodgers' 'special' response - Newcastle moments you may have missed

Newcastle United could not have left it any later as they grabbed a 95th-minute winner against Leicester on Sunday afternoon. Bruno Guimaraes, who also scored the equaliser, sent St. James' Park wild as he headed home in front of the Gallowgate in the dying seconds.

The win, Newcastle's fifth on the bounce at home, moves Eddie Howe 's side 12 points clear of the drop following Burnley's draw with West Ham. Six games remain this season but safety is now almost mathematically secured.

Here are the moments you may have missed from the 2-1 win over Leicester.

READ MORE: Eddie Howe on the 'massive lift' Bruno Guimaraes has given Newcastle United

Bruno's fan gesture

Guimaraes is the name on the lips of fans this evening after another stellar performance in the middle of the park. The Brazilian's match-winning header sent St. James' Park into rapture and saw the player serenaded by supporters at full-time.

The midfielder collapsed onto the turf at the full-time whistle before leading the lap of honour at the end of the game. As Guimaraes made his way towards the tunnel afterwards, he locked eyes with a young fan stood above the dugout.

Without hesitation, Guimaraes removed his shirt and threw it to the young supporter, leaving him overjoyed. The moment was captured by journalists in the press box.

Bruno gives his shirt to a young Newcastle fan (Simon Bird / Twitter)

Targett's unsung role

Matt Targett had another solid game at left-back as he makes a case for a permanent Tyneside switch in the summer. The defender also played a huge part in the 95th-minute winner - one that seems to have gone under the radar.

Leicester attacked down the right in the dying seconds, with Justin James tasked with latching onto a through ball. Targett could have shielded the ball out of play and out for a goal-kick, effectively allowing the game to end 1-1.

Instead, the Aston Villa loanee managed to spark the counter attack by holding off James and turning with the ball, looking up and calmly playing it to Joe Willock. The midfielder then did the hard part, sprinting down the line and assisting Guimaraes with a deflected cross.

Ghodoussi's cheeky message

Newcastle United's owners made an impromptu visit to the press area before the Leicester tie. Moments later, they were in their usual seats waving flags alongside fellow supporters.

Miguel Almiron has been mocked for 'stealing' one of the flags on display this afternoon, before proudly posing with it in the post-match dressing room photo. And Newcastle chief Mehrdad Ghodoussi is not happy about it!

Taking to Twitter after the game, he replied to a picture of Almiron, writing: "Is that my flag??" - followed by a laughing emoji.

Rodgers' kind words

Brendan Rodgers was linked with the Newcastle job after the departure of Steve Bruce last year. Six months on, he could not have been more complimentary about the north-east outfit.

Speaking after the game, the Leicester boss was quizzed on Newcastle's improvement since Howe took the job. Rodgers opted for a truly classy response which shows his fondness of the club.

“I’m so happy for the people here and the supporters," he told reporters. “You get a great feeling every time you come here. It’s one of the cities and grounds I really enjoy coming to. It’s great for the supporters because the passion here is incredible.

“Eddie’s come in and made a very good start and made some really good signings. I think that gives great hope to the supporters. I’m pretty sure they’ll look to build on that in the summer. This is one of the incoming football clubs in Britain. It’s a special place."

Leicester's bold corner tactic

The game was finely poised before Guimaraes' winner, with both sides in with a chance of stealing all three points. With 15 minutes to go, Leicester thought they might be able to hit the Magpies on the counter.

Newcastle won a corner after clever work from Allan Saint-Maximin - but instead of getting his men back to defend, Brendan Rodgers opted to leave three attackers up the field. James Maddison, Kelechi Iheanacho and Harvey Barnes, who all came off the bench in the second-half, stood on the halfway line, hoping for Kasper Schmeichel to catch the ball and deploy a swift counter.

The tactic did not work, however, with Newcastle winning the headers from the set piece. But had it, Leicester could have earned a smash and grab on their travels.

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.