Fulham 1-1 Newcastle: Murphy’s 25-yard stunner lasts three minutes, as Muniz ends a 15-month wait

Jacob Murphy thought he had won it for Newcastle with a stunning 25-yard strike ten minutes from time at Craven Cottage, but Rodrigo Muniz needed less than three minutes to make it Fulham 1-1 Newcastle and end a goal drought that stretched back to August 2025.

For Newcastle, it was a point that felt like two dropped. Matthias Jaissle’s side arrived in London on the back of two straight defeats to Everton, and a draw at least stopped them from losing for the fifth time in six games. On chances, though, they should have gone home with all three.

Fulham, meanwhile, stretched their unbeaten Premier League run to four matches in front of 27,367 at the Cottage.

How did Fulham 1-1 Newcastle unfold?

Jaissle made four changes to the side that lost at home to Everton, bringing in Malick Thiaw, Sean Steur, Murphy and Yoane Wissa. Alvaro Arbeloa’s Fulham had most of the ball early on, and Oscar Bobb forced the first save of the game from Lukas Hornicek after 14 minutes. Gonzalo Garcia then headed the resulting corner onto the roof of the net.

The trouble for the hosts was turning that possession into anything. Between the 15th and 30th minutes they had 75% of the ball and one blocked shot to show for it. Newcastle, sitting deeper, were the side carving out the clearer openings.

Bernd Leno kept out Harvey Barnes with his feet after good work from Wissa and Will Osula, then saved from the winger again, this time with his face, when Barnes was clean through.

Why was Dan Burn’s goal disallowed?

From the short corner that followed, Murphy crossed and Dan Burn, back at his old club, turned the ball in. It was chalked off. Wissa was penalised for holding Timothy Castagne off the ball at the far post, which stopped the Fulham full-back from stepping out and potentially playing Burn offside.

Newcastle were furious, and the sense of injustice seemed to drive them on after the break. Hornicek still had work to do before half-time, diving to push away a fierce volley from Josh King, who was playing his first game since earning his first England call-up.

Murphy’s stunner, then Muniz

Barnes dragged another chance wide two minutes into the second half, Sander Berge fizzed a low drive just past the post for Fulham, and Wissa found the side netting after a quick counter. Jaissle sent on Joe Willock and Lewis Miley just after the hour for Wissa and Nico Gonzalez.

Steur, Newcastle’s best player on a scrappy afternoon, went off with 16 minutes left after an awkward fall, with Matias Fernandez-Pardo coming on in his place. The Belgian had pulled out of his country’s squad earlier in the week after training only twice since mid-October, so even a quarter of an hour was a step forward. There was no word on Steur’s condition at full-time.

Berge went down under a Burn challenge in the box soon after, but referee Rob Jones waved play on. Leno then spilled a Willock shot and only just recovered before Osula could pounce.

The breakthrough came in the 80th minute. Murphy picked up a loose Fulham pass in the middle of the park, drove in off the right and curled a left-footed shot from 25 yards past Leno’s dive and into the far corner. It was a contender for goal of the month.

The lead lasted less than three minutes. Fulham broke into the box, Newcastle failed to clear, and substitute Cesar Palacios found fellow replacement Muniz, who stabbed the ball into the far corner.

Who could have won it late on?

Both sides. Lewis Hall drove into the box with two minutes of normal time left and found himself 12 yards out with only Leno to beat, but the shot on his weaker right foot was saved. At the other end, Hornicek made a flying stop in stoppage time to keep out Ryan Sessegnon’s stinging effort.

What did Murphy and Muniz say?

Murphy told Premier League Studios that the squad were frustrated with the result but pleased with how they responded to a difficult few days.

“We’re unhappy not to come away with three points. But we’re delighted with the overall performance. We’ve had a tough week and we bounced back. That was a collective performance, everyone stood up and were counted for,” he said.

“We didn’t let Fulham play the style they wanted, we made it uncomfortable for them and, on another day, we’re 2-0 up in the first half. Disappointed we conceded after the goal but it’s a point in the right direction.”

For Muniz, the goal meant far more than a point. The Brazilian’s previous league goal for Fulham was a stoppage-time equaliser at Brighton in August 2025, and he admitted the past year had been hard.

“I train hard every week to get a chance to play and to score. I need to be ready,” Muniz said. “Last season was really difficult for me. This goal was really important for me. Last season, I scored only one goal, not good. I want to play more and this goal shows everyone Rodrigo is here.”

Jaissle: “Do you think it’s a foul? In the Premier League? No.”

Jaissle told BBC Match of the Day it was “a step in the right direction after the last performance,” and he had no doubt about Burn’s disallowed goal.

“I think there were occasions also to win that game. Of course, the disallowed goal, a soft one, I would say,” he said. Asked whether Wissa had fouled Castagne, he replied: “Do you think it’s a foul? In the Premier League? No.”

The Newcastle boss was also booked late on, and he was not happy about that either. “I was shouting at my player that he should get up because if we can lose him for one minute at a decisive moment of the game, yeah, he should get up,” Jaissle said. “The referee then gives me the yellow card. That’s strange.”

Arbeloa, for his part, said that for Newcastle “it was like a final” and admitted Fulham had conceded “another amazing goal from outside the box.” He added that King, who went off, should be fine: “I think it is nothing serious. We’ll see tomorrow.”

Fulham 1-1 Newcastle player ratings

These are our ratings for the Newcastle side, out of 10.

Substitutes: Joe Willock (6), Lewis Miley (6), Matias Fernandez-Pardo (6), Anthony Elanga and Fabian Schär (both on with five minutes left, too late to rate).

Is this the point that steadies Jaissle’s Newcastle?

It should be, but it does not feel like it. After the anger at St James’ Park earlier in the week, and Jaissle’s complaint that his players ignored his game plan against Everton, this was a far more organised Newcastle. They limited a good Fulham side to very little and made the better chances.

The worry is the same one that has followed them all season. Barnes missed when one-on-one, Hall missed from 12 yards, and three minutes after taking the lead they let a routine attack turn into an equaliser. Good sides see those games out.

For Fulham, Arbeloa will take four unbeaten and a goal for Muniz, a striker his side badly need. For Newcastle, Murphy is right that it is a point in the right direction. It just needs to be the first of several.