2 weeks Ago
The 30-year-old, whose link-up with striker Alexander Isak has proved so fruitful this season, stepped into the limelight in his own right once again with the opening goal in Wednesday night’s 5-0 drubbing of Crystal Palace at St James’ Park, his ninth of the season and third in as many games. Murphy has made himself a fixture on the right side of the Magpies’ front three with his scintillating form, but he is confident there is more to come after helping the club climb into the Premier League’s top three. And not only does he think he can get even better, the winger has reiterated just how much he loves playing for the Magpies.
He said: “I am hoping there is more to come. I know there is more to come. I can keep up the consistency and keep going, I am really enjoying my football and love playing here.
“My team-mates are really making the game easy at the minute. It is a pleasure to be playing with them and long may it continue.” RECOMMENDED READING: Murphy was a key figure in a rampaging start by the hosts and it was his 14th-minute strike, which flew past keeper Dean Henderson from a tight angle, which set the ball rolling.
However unlike team-mate Sandro Tonali, who scored the winner against Brentford from an even more unlikely position earlier this month, he insisted he meant it. Murphy said: “I did mean it, yes. It was closer than Sandro’s, so that’s why I shot.
I am feeling good – that’s why I took it on from an audacious angle. “If it didn’t go in, I wouldn’t have said much about it, but I found the net and it was brilliant start for us.” The evening might have turned out differently had Eberechi Eze’s tame 36th-minute penalty not been saved by keeper Nick Pope, who redeemed himself after being adjudged to have fouled Chris Richards following a VAR review, and the game quickly ran away from the Eagles from that point.
Marc Guehi’s own goal and further strikes from Harvey Barnes and Fabian Schar sent the home side in at the break four goals to the good, and Isak’s 25th of the season after the restart cemented a win which lifted his side above Nottingham Forest despite the continued absence of head coach Eddie Howe. Palace boss Oliver Glasner left Tyneside vowing to go back to basics after conceding five goals to Manchester City and Newcastle in consecutive games. He said: “If it lasts until the end of the season, we can’t win any games.
It’s now taking a step back and focus on the basics, focus on our defensive shape. “We didn’t win all our games with 70 per cent of possession. When we won, it was a very compact block, everybody did his job in the shape and then waiting for our situations.
“This is what we have to do again and then it’s possible to get the turn-around.”.
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