Newcastle United have surged 10 points clear of the Premier League relegation zone thanks to a 2-1 victory at Leicester City.

Jonjo Shelvey and Ayoze Perez powered the Magpies into a two-goal lead, while Jamie Vardy's 84th-minute strike proved a mere consolation for the Foxes.

© Offside

Rafael Benitez's charges started brightly as Kasper Schmeichel was forced into an early save from a Perez header before keeping out Dwight Gayle's drilled effort.

On 18 minutes, the visitors drew first blood as a counter-attack culminated in the ball being worked to Shelvey, who dummied two opposition defenders and slotted into the bottom-right corner.

Leicester stepped up a gear and ended the first half strongly, only for their defence to let them down when Florian Lejeune's long ball bounced between Harry Maguire and Wes Morgan, allowing Perez to ghost in and chip an effort over Schmeichel.

Six minutes from the end Vardy got the finishing touch on a Shinji Okazaki header from point-blank range to set up a nervy finish for the Tynesiders, who nonetheless held on for all three points.

LEICESTER CITY (4-2-3-1): Schmeichel, Simpson (Okazaki 56'), Morgan, Maguire, Chilwell; Iborra (Choudhury 41'), Silva; Mahrez, Diabate (Gray 76'), Albrighton; Vardy

NEWCASTLE UNITED (4-2-3-1): Dubravka; Yedlin, Lascelles, Lejeune, Dummett; Shelvey, Diame (Hayden 80'); Ritchie, Perez, Kenedy (Atsu 62'); Gayle (Joselu 69')