I just saw Toon ‘madman’ have his best Newcastle game ever after Eddie Howe experiment

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Eddie Howe’s Newcastle United experiment paid off as his side beat Chelsea to advance to the Carabao Cup quarter final.

It felt like we were watching the Magpies of old, as Chelsea failed to cope with Newcastle United‘s high press.

That is what caused the opener, with Newcastle winning the ball high up the pitch. Joelinton forced the mistake, before Sandro Tonali was able to play the ball into the path of Alexander Isak. Newcastle’s most expensive signing ever did the rest, as he scored his third goal of the season.

It was a relatively comfortable night at St James’ Park, as Newcastle beat Chelsea 2-0 to set up a quarter final tie with Brentford.

Eddie Howe will be much happier with what he saw from his team, while a major tactical tweak paid dividends.

Newcastle played Sandro Tonali in a different position

Since returning from suspension, there has been a lot of chatter surrounding Sandro Tonali. The 24-year-old has played well, but has not necessarily stood out as a superstar.

He has been subbed regularly, with Eddie Howe calling on Newcastle fans not to boo when Tonali is taken off.

The midfielder was substituted again on Wednesday night, but this time to a standing ovation. Tonali came off in the 92nd minute, on the back of what was probably his best ever performance in a Newcastle United shirt.

The Italy international was asked to operate in a different role. Since his comeback, Tonali has played as an ‘eight’, being asked to go box-to-box. But that changed in the Carabao Cup, as Howe deployed Tonali as the ‘six’ ahead of Bruno Guimaraes, who was on the bench.

In the middle of the central trio, Tonali looked so much more comfortable. He was impactful with his passing. The speed at which he plays the ball can be transformative for Newcastle – pretty much every pass he made oozed with class.

It was quite telling that even when Bruno Guimaraes came on, Tonali remained in his position as the ‘six’. Obviously Howe liked what he saw, and it will be interesting to see if Tonali is used in that role in the Premier League moving forwards.

What Eddie Howe said about Sandro Tonali’s performance

After the game, the Newcastle United manager spoke to the Telegraph about Tonali’s performance.

“He can play a dual role, that is why we signed him,” he said.

“He’s not a one-dimensional player. He obviously uses the ball well, but he was very diligent defensively. That was really impressive.

“That was right up there with his best performance for us. Mainly out of possession, I thought he was excellent, controlling spaces and obviously it was his pressing that led to our first goal. He had to cover a big distance to get there.”

Tonali’s stats as Newcastle midfielder showcases Italy form

There has been a bit of frustration since Tonali’s comeback from suspension. He has been the main man for Italy, playing pretty much every minute possible during both international breaks so far this season.

Luciano Spalletti is relying heavily on Tonali in the middle of the park, and the former AC Milan star appears to be relishing the responsibility.

He has been praised for his running power, with the Italian media stating that Tonali was running around like a ‘madman’ during Italy’s 2-2 draw with Belgium.

Tonali has been much more consistent in an Italy shirt. For Newcastle, we have only seen flashes of his obscene talent, while Howe has been wary about not overusing the midfielder so soon after his 10-month ban.

But the Carabao Cup win over Chelsea could be a turning point, with Tonali thriving in his role as Newcastle United conductor.

There was the odd sloppy moment from Tonali. There were a couple of occasions when he conceded possession cheaply, but they were few and far between. On the whole, he was imperious in black and white.

It could prove to be a defining night for Tonali, who may have now forced Howe to change the way he uses him moving forwards.

We will find out on Saturday against Arsenal, as Howe begins to deliberate whether Tonali or Bruno should play in the ‘six’.