Newcastle United can now boast three wins on the trot in all competitions at their beloved home patch of St James’ Park, having left it very late to secure a Premier League win yesterday against Marco Silva’s Fulham.
The Magpies brushed aside Jose Mourinho’s Benfica with ease 3-0 in the Champions League in mid-week, but on their return to the bread and butter of top-flight action, it would take a crucial strike by club captain Bruno Guimaraes right at the death to clinch a slim 2-1 win over the determined visitors from West London.
Having also been the hero who secured the Toon a 2-0 victory over Ange Postecoglou’s Nottingham Forest earlier in the month, it’s clear that the number 39 is now an undroppable part of Howe’s first-team set-up.
Why Bruno Guimaraes is undroppable
With Sandro Tonali sitting out another game, Howe would have known that he was relying on Guimaraes to be a bright spark from the centre of the park once more.
The energetic Brazilian was just that for the Tyneside giants, with his third Premier League goal of the season already seeing him pounce on a spill by Bernd Leno to send the majority of St James’ Park into raptures.
Away from the Brazilian coming up clutch again, the ever-reliable Toon captain also amassed four key passes as he attempted to get the teammates around him onto the scoresheet as well, with eight duels also won, showing off the 27-year-old’s tenacious approach in battling away for his side.
Having not missed a single Premier League game last season, and with this electric start to this campaign already under his belt, it’s surely obvious now that Guimaraes is a deserved staple of Howe’s lineups.
Guimaraes isn’t alone, arguably, in being an untouchable member of his manager’s XI, though, with this consistent top performer now making a compelling argument to be considered in the same conversations as the much-loved midfielder.
The Newcastle star who is as undroppable as Guimaraes
As was stated above, Newcastle didn’t have the smoothest ride out there against Silva’s away side.
Thankfully, Guimaraes bailed the Toon out with that vital 89th-minute effort, but if it wasn’t for Jacob Murphy’s sharp accuracy in front of goal after just 18 minutes, as well, a win could have easily slipped out of Howe and Co.’s grasp.
While Guimaraes would go on to steal all the plaudits in the second 45 minutes, his 30-year-old teammate also made sure Fulham knew he wasn’t messing about in the first half, with three shots on target in total, nearly seeing Murphy pick up more than one goal to put the contest beyond doubt.
The Toon veteran would be substituted off on the 61st minute mark as he visibly tired, but his electric first-half display alone surely means he’s a shoo-in for a start again when the Tyneside outfit travel to a troubled West Ham United side at the start of November in Premier League, having also been branded as a player that “every squad needs” by journalist Andy Sixsmith for his unwavering commitment to the club during the 2-1 win.
Murphy’s numbers vs Benfica & Fulham
Stat
Murphy (Benfica)
Murphy (Fulham)
Minutes played
63
61
Goals scored
0
1
Assists
1
0
Touches
31
37
Accurate passes
10/15 (67%)
14/18 (78%)
Key passes
1
0
Big chances created
1
0
Successful dribbles
0
1/2
Total duels won
0/1
3/5
Stats by Sofascore
The table above backs up Sixsmith’s glowing words, with Murphy content at being given limited minutes, knowing he can create an opening or thunder home a goal at a moment’s notice, with just 68 touches accumulated over Newcastle’s last two games, resulting in an assist and a goal falling into his lap.
Rivals for his spot in the team in the form of Anthony Elanga don’t have the same sort of blistering numbers to hand, with the out-of-sorts Swede still yet to get off the mark for his new side after a mammoth £55m summer move.
With the dependable winger noted as being deep in the “form of his life” at the final whistle by Newcastle-based blog Mouth of the Tyne, alongside the Athletic’s Chris Waugh stating that he keeps “producing big moments”, there looks to be little wriggle room in the main XI for the likes of Elanga and Harvey Barnes, as Murphy now appears to be one of Howe’s main men next to the assured South American.
