Jacob Murphy and Lloyd Kelly were Newcastle United’s two creators against Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday.
The Magpies won 2-1 against Tottenham, despite not playing very well once again. Newcastle United were nowhere near their best, yet managed to be victorious.
Eddie Howe set Newcastle up to play on the counter, and that resulted in them scoring the winner. The Magpies hit Tottenham on the break, with Jacob Murphy played through on goal before giving Alexander Isak a tap in.
It was great forward play by Murphy, who had struggled up until that point to make an impact after coming on for Harvey Barnes.
But the 29-year-old delivered when it mattered, getting his first assist of the season.
First competitive Newcastle assist for Lloyd Kelly
And there was also a first assist from Lloyd Kelly, who provided the pass for Newcastle to take the lead in the first half.
Kelly has not been signed for his attacking prowess, but a quick throw-in allowed him to bomb down the line and pick out Barnes perfectly in the 37th minute.
The finish was sublime, as Newcastle scored against the run of play.
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Barnes took the plaudits, but the goal was made possible by Kelly.
This was the second time they have combined at St James’ Park, with Kelly assisting Barnes in the 1-0 friendly win over Brest in the Sela Cup.
Jacob Murphy hails Lloyd Kelly
Kelly’s assist capped off another solid performance in a black and white shirt.
The 25-year-old started at left-back for the second Premier League game running, and helped a resolute Toon defence pick up three points.
After the game, Kelly took to his official Instagram account to reflect on the victory.
He wrote: “THIS TEAM. Positive way to close out before the break, we keep moving forward.”
Kelly received a reply from Jacob Murphy, who commented: “Big performance bro.”
Howe was right to take Kelly off against Tottenham
Kelly played really well against Spurs, but did not complete the full 90 minutes.
He was substituted in the 68th minute to be replaced by Lewis Hall, as Howe went in search of a winner.
The Newcastle manager was probably also mindful that Kelly was on a yellow card, having been booked in the first half for a foul on Son Heung-min.
At the time of the substitution, Kelly had been struggling up against the pacey Brennan Johnson. The former Nottingham Forest attacker was causing problems up against a player who dare not commit another foul.
That is why it was smart to get Hall on at left-back, as he and Kelly continue to dovetail.