Sandro Tonali was fantastic once again as Newcastle beat Southampton on Saturday.
It’s now 10 wins in the last 11 games in all competitions for Eddie Howe who did not let |Newcastle’s loss to Bournemouth affect them in any way when they visited the relegation-threatened Saints on the South Coast.
Tonali got on the scoresheet in the Premier League for the first time since he found the net on his debut against Aston Villa in August 2023.
He found himself through on goal in the second half thanks to a fantastic flick-on from Anthony Gordon. From there, the Italian made no mistake and found the back on the net with a simple side-footed finish.
He joined star striker Alexander Isak in the goals. The Swede bagged a brace to put his tally in the Premier League to 17 for the season.
Newcastle’s win against Southampton was their 12th in the league this season and gives them all the impetus they need to get a similar result against Fulham in the next game.
After the goal and the win, Tonali posted his three-word thoughts to social media.
Tonali reacts to Newcastle win on social media
Tonali has been incredible for Newcastle since returning from his 10-month ban in August. A lot of credit can be handed to Howe moving Tonali into a deeper midfield role.
The 24-year-old took to Instagram to post about the game. He simply said: “WE AMBITIOUS NOW.” a clear sign that he and the other Newcastle players know what they can achieve this season.
Newcastle are aiming to finish in a European spot this season, ideally a Champions League place which would hand them a lump sum of money. The Magpies are also just 90 minutes away from another Carabao Cup final – a good result against Arsenal in the second leg would put them closer to a first major trophy since 1969.
On Tonali’s post, Gordon replied with a pinched finger and flame emoji. Gordon picked up his fifth league assist of the season as a result of Tonali’s goal.
Tonali has been known to link up well with Bruno Guimaraes this season, but his goal on Saturday showed he has great chemistry with other members of Newcastle’s first-team squad.
Tonali’s performance vs Southampton by numbers
Although most Newcastle players performed exceptionally, Tonali was one of the standout players against Southampton.
As well as the goal, in 65 touches Tonali completed 84% of his passes (37/44), five passes into the final third, won four tackles, had 10 defensive actions, made five recoveries, won 10 of his 17 duels and made one block.
Fans refer to him as a ‘midfield maestro’. His efforts were felt all over the pitch on Saturday. Tonali signed for £55m in 2023 – even with his time out he looks to be worth every penny.
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