Not even the World Cup break looks like slowing Newcastle’s pursuit of Champions League football and, as Eddie Howe’s team climbed into second place in the Premier League, Brendan Rodgers even suggested they should “absolutely” be considered title contenders. Early goals from Chris Wood, from the penalty spot, Miguel Almirón and Joelinton brought Newcastle a sixth successive league win against one of the division’s previous in-form teams, for whom the six-week international break in Qatar clearly came at a bad time. The teams meet again in the Carabao Cup quarter-final in a fortnight but, with a trip to Arsenal, the leaders, next Tuesday, Newcastle’s priorities may have moved beyond one-off silverware by then. “We can do anything,” Howe said. “The season is still young enough for all possibilities to exist for us. I want the fans to believe we can do anything.” While the Newcastle manager was more restrained in his briefing with the written media, his Leicester counterpart believes there is no reason why they cannot compete for the title. “Absolutely,” Rodgers said. “Having watched them through this season, and today, obviously they have got that hunger to be there, with a point to prove. Making a good start gives you the belief you can stay there. They’ve signed top players … and got some great results. “There’s no reason why they can’t be [involved in the title discussion] and if they can make the right additions in January, so they have cover for certain players, and keep players fit, then with the fanatical fanbase up there, they can have a great chance.” Rodgers criticised his players for their slow start to the game – “Our attitude was really poor” – and now has to contend for a longer period without James Maddison, the subject of a £40m bid from Newcastle last summer, who has suffered a setback from the knee injury that curtailed his involvement with England in Qatar. Leicester’s form going into the World Cup had actually been as brilliant as Newcastle’s; they also averaged two points a game after they had been bottom with one point from their first eight games. But it was Howe’s team who picked up where they had left off as they went 2-0 up inside seven minutes. Euphoric chants of “We’re going to win the league” rang out from the black and white corner of the King Power Stadium as Newcastle responded to the disappointment of losing Callum Wilson to illness by seeing Wood, his replacement, fire them into the lead after Daniel Amartey tripped Joelinton in the area after 85 seconds. The former Leicester striker kept his nerve to smack his penalty straight down the middle – none of this waiting to see where the goalkeeper is going – for his third goal of the season. The centre of defence is one area in Leicester’s squad Rodgers is keen to replenish come the opening of the transfer window next week but they were too easily opened up all over throughout the first half. Luke Thomas was too accommodating as Almirón received a long pass out wide and cut back inside on to his favoured left foot before playing a one-two with Bruno Guimarães and steering home his ninth goal of the season, equalling his tally for the previous four campaigns, with his left foot. To add injury to insult, Leicester lost Danielennis Praet, Maddison’s deputy, in the 17th minute, but as they briefly played their way back into the game in the middle of the pitch. Patson Daka was unlucky not to pull a goal back when he nicked the ball past Nick Pope but fell as the ball rebounded off him but not over the line. Newcastle went 3-0 up in the 32nd minute for the first time in an away game in the Premier League in 15 years when Joelinton rose above Boubakary Soumaré to head home Kieran Trippier’s corner. Wood could have made the half-time scoreline even more embarrassing but he lofted Joe Willock’s pullback on to the top of the net just before the break. It was no surprise when Jamie Vardy was summoned from the substitutes’ bench for the second half as Leicester sought a way back into the game. Rodgers made some tactical changes as he paired Vardy and Harvey Barnes up front, with Ayoze Pérez playing in a No 10 role, and was able to make some inroads in behind Dan Burn down Newcastle’s left. But the nearest they came to getting a goal back came when Sven Botman’s clearance ricocheted off Burn for a corner. Now four points above the relegation zone, Leicester head to Liverpool on Friday.