Newcastle United kept their fine streak of form going as they defeated Wolverhampton Wanderers at Molineux last weekend, with Fabian Schar and Harvey Barnes scoring a pair of emphatic strikes from range.
It was a gritty display against a resilient team, but Eddie Howe’s side powered through and now perch in third place in the Premier League after four matches, with three wins and one draw.
The Magpies haven’t fully clicked into gear thus far but will climb to the summit with a victory at Fulham later today, albeit temporarily, with Manchester City hosting Arsenal tomorrow afternoon.
Howe is juggling injuries, and so won’t ring the changes, but he might want to bench Jacob Murphy after last weekend’s effort…
Jacob Murphy's performance vs Wolves
Murphy, aged 29, has enjoyed a career renaissance under Howe, playing an important role in the success of recent seasons. He’s started all four top-flight fixtures and assisted Alexander Isak’s goal against Tottenham Hotspur, but failed to shine against the Old Gold.
He carried a threat down the right flank and, as always, offered an energetic and workhorse-like presence, but he’s yet to hit the target this season, having won just 21% of his duels and, surprisingly, not even attempted to complete a dribble.
To make matters worse, Murphy failed to offer anything of substance from an attacking standpoint last weekend, and given that Isak might be sidelined after suffering a toe injury and Callum Wilson still isn’t fit, he should be dropped. He won’t compensate. Just take a look at his match statistics.
Minutes played
90′
Goals
0
Assists
0
Touches
41
Shots (on target)
1 (1)
Key passes
1
Crosses (completed)
2 (0)
Dribbles (completed)
1 (0)
Possession lost
16x
Tackles + interceptions
0
Total duels (won)
9 (0)
Dribbled past
2x
If Isak is to sit this one out, Anthony Gordon will probably move to a makeshift centre-forward role, with the in-form Harvey Barnes flanking from the left.
Why Howe must axe Jacob Murphy
Who to place on the right? Well, Miguel Almiron has been desperate for an opportunity and William Osula, who has been an unused substitute throughout each of Newcastle’s fixtures this term, will be eager to show his quality after signing from Sheffield United in a deal worth £15m this summer.
Almiron would be the more pragmatic pick. The Paraguayan seems to have fallen out of favour under Howe’s stewardship after an indifferent 2023/24 campaign, having been limited to two fleeting cameos in the Premier League this year.
But he’s a natural pick on the right side of the attack, with crisp link-up play and a determined attitude. As per FBref, the 30-year-old ranks among the top 12% of attacking midfielders and wingers across Europe’s top five leagues over the past year for pass completion (81.7%), the top 8% for tackles (2.16) and the top 10% for interceptions (1.44) per 90.
He’ll be desperate to reclaim his bygone purple patch from the 2022/23 campaign, scoring 11 goals in the Premier League – including an extraordinary run of eight goals and two assists across nine outings.
Whatever happens, it’s safe to say that Murphy isn’t doing enough to justify another starting berth, and Almiron could be the answer. He’ll certainly want to make a positive impression.
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