Bournemouth dominated Newcastle despite being hampered by a long list of injuries. The south coast team extended its unbeaten run to 11 games and climbed to sixth place, tied for points with fifth-placed Chelsea. A fifth-place finish could earn a place in the Champions League next season for the first time.
“Why not dream big?” Kluivert posed. “We never know where we can end up.”
Next-to-last Leicester lost a seventh straight game in the league, 2-0 to Fulham, to pile the pressure on recently hired manager Ruud van Nistelrooy.
The former Manchester United and Real Madrid striker, who is in only his second senior coaching role, has won just one of his nine league games in charge — the first against West Ham on Dec. 3.
“We weren’t good enough in all aspects,” Van Nistelrooy said. “This is the first game I’ve felt like this.”
Emile Smith Rowe and Adama Traore scored for Fulham.
Crystal Palace won at West Ham 2-0 thanks to two second-half goals by Jean-Philippe Mateta, the second from the penalty spot.
If Bournemouth achieve the improbable and extend their stay in the Premier League, they will be thanking Leicester City for many months to come.
Midway through the second half, the visitors led 1-0 thanks to Jamie Vardy’s 23rd goal of the season and were in command. They were cruising back into third in the table and sending Eddie Howe’s team to the brink of relegation.
Then, within a minute, Leicester imploded, prompting manager Brendan Rodgers to apologise to the supporters and label his team ‘soft’. Goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel blasted the ball against team-mate Wilfred Ndidi, who fouled Callum Wilson for a penalty converted by half-time substitute Junior Stanislas.
