LEICESTER, England — Shinji Okazaki's overhead kick gave leader Leicester a 1-0 victory over Rafa Benitez's Newcastle on Monday, a goal as spectacular as his team's improbable Premier League title challenge.
As Leicester restored its five-point lead at the summit over Tottenham with eight games remaining, former Real Madrid and Liverpool coach Benitez made a losing start to his reign as Newcastle manager.
Newcastle is facing relegation, one point from safety, while Leicester is on track for a first-ever league title a year after being bottom of the standings before narrowly avoiding the drop.
"We had to dig in today," Leicester captain Wes Morgan told British broadcaster Sky Sports.