As Newcastle United progressed to the semi-final of the Carabao Cup, one player’s brief cameo made all the difference.
An early goal from Yoane Wissa was cancelled out by Sasa Lukic’s header shortly after to leave the scores level at 1-1 at half-time last night.
Who was your MOTM against Fulham? For what it’s worth, I thought Jacob Ramsey was very good 😍😍
Newcastle United absolutely dominated the second half at St. James’ Park, but had to wait until the 92nd minute to get the winner they deserved.
While it’s Lewis Miley’s special goal that stole the headlines, we need to take a moment to appreciate Sandro Tonali’s role in the win, too.
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Sandro Tonali is back to his best
Introduced in the 72nd minute to replace Joe Willock, Tonali immediately imbued the Newcastle midfield with an air of composure and class. The Italian played a number of short, slick passes to keep the Magpies moving and his impact on the tempo of the game was palpable.
It was Tonali who swung in that all-important corner for Miley to flick home, and the assist will do the midfielder a world of good at a time where fitness and confidence has been low.
Indeed, fans were starting to worry about Tonali of late, but last night against Fulham, all signs pointed to the 25-year-old being (almost) back to his best.
Alongside that assist, Tonali completed 14 of his 16 passes on the night, with an 83% success rate in the Fulham half. His passing helped Newcastle control the midfield battle, something we haven’t seen them do very often this season.
Even more impressive, though, is the fact he was not shying away from getting stuck in. Tonali won five of his seven ground duels (as per Sofascore), as well as registering six recoveries, one clearance, and one tackle won.
Throw in a successful dribble and this 27-touch cameo becomes a very positive night for Tonali, and bodes very well for the next run of games.
- READ MORE: Newcastle United can dream of Wembley return despite nightmare Carabao Cup semi-final draw
Give us your best three-word review of Newcastle United 2-1 Fulham 👀
I’ll go first: ‘Still not convinced’.
Eddie Howe loved Tonali’s performance
Just a couple of weeks ago, Howe said Tonali was struggling for fitness. At the time, the Newcastle boss claimed Tonali was lacking “rhythm” but after last night, it seemed that was well and truly back.
Speaking about Tonali’s impact after the game, Howe told the press: “Yeah [the subs made a difference]. I think Sandro’s drive from midfield was key… we’ve got quality players.”
While Newcastle’s injury crisis worsened last night, it’s good to see that there is still some squad depth in the midfield and attacking areas. Being able to bring on the likes of Tonali, Anthony Gordon, and Nick Woltemade is never a bad thing.
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