Sandro Tonali got Newcastle United’s season off to a flying start by volleying home a goal after just six minutes in the opening game of the season.
Newcastle romped to a 5-1 victory over Aston Villa at St James’ Park last night with Italian international Sandro Tonali taking the plaudits.
Many people thought that Sandro Tonali would be introduced to the Newcastle starting lineup slowly much like Bruno Guimaraes. Coming from a different country with a much slower style of play, fans and pundits thought it would take Tonali a few games to get up to speed with the Premier League.
Tonali had a hand in three Newcastle goals yesterday
How wrong they were. Six minutes was all it took for Tonali to introduce himself to the English top flight, volleying home an Anthony Gordon cross after making an excellent run from the edge of the area.
He then went on to play a significant role in two more of Newcastle’s five goals crossing in for Sven Botman to knock the ball across the face of goal for Alexander Isak‘s first goal, then in the second half playing a sublime one-touch pass through to Harvey Barnes who crossed for Callum Wilson to put the ball away.
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Sandro Tonali caught up with Sky Sports Italy at full time and spoke about the game.
“It was wonderful, the first real game,” he told Sky Sport Italia (via The Daily Mail).
“I let myself go, we really enjoyed ourselves, especially as the game went so well, just as we had prepared it. It was impossible not to enjoy today.
Tonali lived the dream in his Premier League debut for Newcastle
”It is one thing to dream and another to experience it. Reality is different. I am happy with how it went, now I will go home, relax and rest, then I might realise what happened.”
Tonali has made himself an instant hero on Tyneside and that £55million transfer fee is already looking like the bargain of the season.
Newcastle lost a fan-favourite this summer with Allan Saint-Maximin sold to Al Ahli, but in Sandro Tonali and Harvey Barnes we’ve brough in two players who can fill that void.