Jacob Murphy is Newcastle’s unsung hero – just ask Alexander Isak

Newcastle’s 4-1 defeat by Bournemouth was an exception rather than the rule. Since mid-December, Newcastle have been imperious in the Premier League. They have won seven of their past eight games and bounced back from that Bournemouth game by beating another south-coast side, Southampton, to climb to fifth.

Eddie Howe’s team, who trail fourth-placed Manchester City on goal difference, will fancy their chances of another victory when Fulham visit on Saturday. Very few defences can handle the Newcastle attack at the minute. Alexander Isak has been sensational this season, scoring 17 goals in the Premier League – only Mohamed Salah (19) and Erling Haaland (18) have more. Anthony Gordon has directly contributed to a goal in 10 of his past 11 Newcastle outings. The pair deserve immense credit, but so does the third member of the scalpel-sharp trident.

The question for Howe earlier in the season was who to pick as the third attacker in his 4-3-3. Harvey Barnes probably expected to nail down the role. Miguel Almirón was another option for Howe, though the Paraguay international has departed for Atlanta United. In the end, Jacob Murphy stepped up and now the right-wing spot is his to lose.

As Isak and Gordon put opponents to the sword, Murphy has been sneaking up the assist leaderboard. Only Salah (13), Bukayo Saka (10) and Antonee Robinson (nine) have set up more goals than Murphy (eight) in the league. Six of those assists have been for Isak, making them the deadliest assist-to-goalscorer combination in the campaign.

If Murphy sets up Isak three more times they will match the Premier League record of nine goals in a season where one teammate has set up another. That record is shared by three duos: Mike Newell setting up Alan Shearer for Blackburn, Stan Collymore laying on goals for Robbie Fowler for Liverpool, and Harry Kane picking out Son Heung-min for Tottenham.

Isak was always likely to become a prolific striker for Newcastle but Murphy’s ascent has been more circuitous. Isak joined from Real Sociedad as a star, a £60m signing who broke the club’s transfer record. He is one of the first names on the team sheet and would be welcomed with open arms at clubs further up the Premier League table.

Murphy, on the other hand, made his way to the club via a stint at Norwich and loan spells at Swindon, Southend, Scunthorpe and Colchester, among others. Since his arrival in 2017, he has featured here and there, making appearances in fits and starts, often from the bench. He has even been sent on loan to West Brom and Sheffield Wednesday. When the Saudi takeover was completed in 2021, he was expected to be one of the first shown the door.

Murphy has kept plugging away and is first choice in a team with their sights set on a return to the Champions League. The Fulham game should be his 17th start of the season, matching his previous best campaign at the club, in 2020-21. Howe often looked to Murphy to see out games but now he is influencing the team from the outset.

As soon as Murphy collects the ball in the final third, Isak is on the move, aware a decisive pass imay be coming his way. Murphy may not be the most glamorous name, and at £12m he is far from the most expensive player in the squad, but he is a striker’s dream. He gets down the right wing, makes it to the byline and puts the ball into the box.

Whereas many modern-day wingers tend to cut inside on to their favoured foot, Murphy is a throwback to the old school. He ranks second for crosses excluding corners (53) of Newcastle players in the Premier League this season. It does not always work, but his balls into the box have the potential to wreak havoc.

With Isak so sharp, the combination is having the desired effect. The duo are not as iconic as previous pairings for Newcastle such as Peter Beardsley and Andy Cole, David Ginola and Les Ferdinand or Alan Shearer and Laurent Robert but their numbers stack up against anyone’s.

Murphy was not the most obvious choice to excel alongside Isak and Gordon, especially once the takeover was completed, yet the boyhood Newcastle fan has grabbed his chance. It is high time he earned the same adulation as his attacking teammates.