Newcastle midfielder Jacob Murphy was convinced he'd scored his first goal in three months in Tuesday night's impressive 3-1 win over Aston Villa, but a post-match interview with TNT Sports shattered those hopes.
The 28-year-old midfielder, who made his return from injury at the weekend after two months out with a dislocated shoulder, helped the Magpies end Aston Villa's 17-match unbeaten home run in the Premier League.
Fabian Schar handed Eddie Howe's side a two-goal advantage with an unlikely first-half brace and shortly after the break, it looked like Murphy had all but sealed the victory with a close-range finish.
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But the unfortunate Alex Moreno, who tried to block Murphy's effort with a desperate slide tackle, helped guide the ball into the back of the net before clattering into the goal post.
After Tuesday's full-time whistle, both Murphy and Fabian Schar spoke to TNT Sports reporter Becky Ives about a number of topics, including a certain effort that was chalked down as an own goal.
“Ouch. Twelve weeks out for that!" Murphy laughed. "I’m just glad I was in that area and we needed that third goal so I’m glad we got it, it doesn’t matter if it’s an own goal.”
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The midfielder was later caught on camera saying: “It was never an own goal!”
Away from Moreno's own goal and Murphy thinks this result can be a springboard for Newcastle after a tough December that included defeats against Luton and Nottingham Forest.
“We have been a bit too inconsistent this season but it has been tough,” he said. “We’ve had a lot of people out and we’re now starting to get players back in. Once we get a full complement of players we can really kick-on. This is the first step to really push on for the rest of the season.”
Eddie Howe, meanwhile, believes his side looked like an "elite" team against Aston Villa.
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"We looked like an elite team that's capable of achieving great things," he said. "The mixed feeling is that we haven't really seen it (this season away from home.
"The team, at points, has looked disjointed, but today we looked more like ourselves. It wasn’t just a big win, but a big performance. This was like us of last year. But we have to build on this now."
He added: "Our game plan was to be aggressive and stop their rhythm, which we did in the first half. Also, to use our transitions and get in behind, knowing they play a high line. Fabian took his two goals brilliantly and he has that in him, he has great technical ability."
Featured Image Credit: TNT SportsTopics: Newcastle United, Aston Villa, Premier League
