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Late Murphy free-kick earns Newcastle point at Wolves


Jacob Murphy
Jacob Murphy scored his second Premier League goal, his last having come against Manchester City in January 2018

Jacob Murphy’s late free-kick rescued a point for Newcastle just minutes after Wolves had taken the lead at Molineux.

The Newcastle midfielder bent his low effort around the wall and just inside the post past goalkeeper Rui Patricio following Raul Jimenez’s opener.

The Mexican had fired home with 10 minutes to go of what had been a lacklustre encounter that Wolves had dominated for long stretches.

Both sides managed just one shot on target in the first half, and while the hosts seemed the likelier to take three points they had to settle for a point that takes them into seventh

Newcastle remain in 14th after the fourth consecutive 1-1 result between the two clubs.

Karl Darlow saved Daniel Podence’s shot in the sixth minute in what turned out to be Wolves’ best chance of the first half, while Allan Saint-Maximin’s effort pushed away by Patricio just before the break was Newcastle’s first attempt on target.

Blocks by Jamaal Lascelles and Federico Fernandez to deny Daniel Podence and Pedro Neto typified a dogged display by the away side in the second half, and they battled back strongly after Jimenez’s fine goal had seemed set to send them home empty-handed.

Wolves fail to land killer blow

Wolves lived up to the statistic that says they are the Premier League’s slowest starters, failing to score in the first half for the 58th time – more than any other side in the top flight.

Podence forced Darlow into a save low to his left after six minutes, but after that the home side failed to make the most of having nearly two-thirds of the possession.

Nuno Espirito Santo’s side showed was more urgency after the break, and even had vague hopes of a penalty shout for handball when Fernandez got in the way of Podence’s effort, but replays showed the Newcastle defender could have done nothing to get the back of his arm out of the way.

Jimenez’s excellent shot from just outside the area from a corner had enough power behind it to take it in off Darlow’s left hand, giving Wolves’ leading scorer his fourth of this campaign and what seemed to be the game’s decisive moment.

But with their next three games all against sides near them in the table – versus Crystal Palace, Leicester and Southampton – Nuno will be keen for his team to finish off sides when they have the chance.

Gutsy Newcastle battle through

A heavy defeat to Manchester United last time out, combined with illness and injuries affecting his squad, saw Steve Bruce make four changes to his starting line-up.

Jonjo Shelvey’s groin problem and an illness affecting Sean Longstaff resulted in a redrawn side with an attacking edge, and included Ryan Fraser making his first Premier League start since his transfer from Bournemouth.

But for all their potential threat going forward, Newcastle worked hard without the ball for much of the match and Wolves’ main threats came from shots a long way from goal.

Fraser and his former Bournemouth team-mate Callum Wilson lined up alongside each other for the first time this season, while Murphy, who spent last season on loan at Sheffield Wednesday, made his first Premier League start since December 2018.

The 25-year-old Murphy, named at wing-back, took his chance with a clever free-kick that just squeezed in to give Newcastle a point from a match that they were never quite out of despite spending so much of it on the back foot.

The draw specialists – the stats you may have missed

  • 73% of the Premier League matches between Wolves and Newcastle have ended level (8/11); of Premier League ties to have been played at least 10 times, this is the highest percentage.
  • All 11 Premier League games between Wolves and Newcastle have seen both sides score a goal, making it the most played tie in the competition in which neither side have kept a clean sheet.
  • Wolves have won just one of their 11 games under Nuno Espirito Santo in which they have had at least 60% possession (D5 L5), with that win coming against a Manchester City team who played with 10 men for more than 75 minutes.
  • Raul Jimenez has been directly involved in 27 Premier League goals since the start of last season (21 goals & 6 assists – more than twice as many as any other Wolves player.
  • Each of Jimenez’s last two Premier League goals have been scored from outside the box after each of his previous 32 goals in the competition had been scored from inside the penalty area.
  • Jacob Murphy scored Newcastle’s first direct free-kick goal in the Premier League since a Jonjo Shelvey strike against West Ham in November 2019.

What’s next?

Wolves are at home again in their next outing when they host Crystal Palace at 20:00 GMT on Friday, 30 October, while Newcastle are back at St James’ Park when they play leaders Everton at 14:00 on Sunday, 1 November.

Player of the match

MurphyJacob Murphy

Wolverhampton Wanderers

  1. Squad number9Player nameJiménez

  2. Squad number10Player nameDaniel Podence

  3. Squad number7Player namePedro Neto

  4. Squad number16Player nameCoady

  5. Squad number22Player nameNélson Semedo

  6. Squad number8Player nameRúben Neves

  7. Squad number32Player nameDendoncker

  8. Squad number49Player nameKilman

  9. Squad number15Player nameBoly

  10. Squad number11Player nameRui Patrício

  11. Squad number27Player nameSaïss

  12. Squad number28Player nameJoão Moutinho

  13. Squad number5Player nameMarçal

  14. Squad number37Player nameTraoré

Newcastle United

  1. Squad number23Player nameMurphy

  2. Squad number26Player nameDarlow

  3. Squad number15Player nameLewis

  4. Squad number10Player nameSaint-Maximin

  5. Squad number24Player nameAlmirón

  6. Squad number13Player nameC Wilson

  7. Squad number18Player nameFernández

  8. Squad number6Player nameLascelles

  9. Squad number5Player nameSchär

  10. Squad number16Player nameHendrick

  11. Squad number21Player nameFraser

  12. Squad number36Player nameS Longstaff

  13. Squad number7Player nameCarroll

  14. Squad number9Player nameJoelinton

Line-ups

Wolves

  • 11Rui Patrício
  • 15Boly
  • 16Coady
  • 49Kilman
  • 22Nélson Semedo
  • 32Dendoncker
  • 8NevesSubstituted forJoão Moutinhoat 83′minutes
  • 27SaïssSubstituted forMarçal de Oliveiraat 68′minutes
  • 7Neto
  • 9Jiménez
  • 10Castelo PodenceSubstituted forTraoréat 68′minutes

Substitutes

  • 2Hoever
  • 3Aït-Nouri
  • 5Marçal de Oliveira
  • 17Soares Silva
  • 21Ruddy
  • 28João Moutinho
  • 37Traoré

Newcastle

  • 26Darlow
  • 23Murphy
  • 5Schär
  • 6LascellesSubstituted forCarrollat 88′minutes
  • 18Fernández
  • 15Lewis
  • 21FraserSubstituted forJoelintonat 78′minutes
  • 16Hendrick
  • 24AlmirónBooked at 40mins
  • 13C Wilson
  • 10Saint-MaximinSubstituted forS Longstaffat 79′minutes

Substitutes

  • 7Carroll
  • 9Joelinton
  • 14Hayden
  • 17Krafth
  • 19Manquillo
  • 29Gillespie
  • 36S Longstaff

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