They would be even stronger position if Arsenal had not turned their form around since their defeats in both domestic cups last month, beginning in the first leg of this EFL Cup semifinal before they were then knocked out of the FA Cup on penalties by Manchester United.

At home, Arsenal were highly wasteful, and Newcastle capitalized on their chances, with Alexander Isak and Anthony Gordon scoring to give Eddie Howe's side a commanding lead.

Ruud van Nistelrooy was in charge for those games as interim boss and will now find himself back at Old Trafford as the Leicester boss looking to inflict more misery on his old side. Man Utd vs Leicester kicks off at 8pm on Friday 7 February. Live coverage is available on ITV1, with a live stream available on ITVX.