Eddie Howe & Sandro Tonali's tongue-in-cheek 'disagreement' over key Newcastle United moment v Brentford
Newcastle United head coach Eddie Howe praised Sandro Tonali’s match-winning strike against Brentford on Wednesday night.
Tonali scored his third goal of the season against The Bees at the Leazes End this season with his tight-angled effort flying into the goal to confirm a 2-1 win for Newcastle. Alexander Isak had given The Magpies the lead in the first half before Bryan Mbeumo made it 1-1 from the penalty spot.
Tonali’s winner was a big talking point after the game as his position on the pitch suggested the effort was a cross, but the pace and power on the effort made it look like a shot.
Tonali himself and Howe were asked about the match-winning goal after the 2-1 win, which took Newcastle up to fifth in the Premier League table. Here’s what they had to say...
Sandro Tonali reacts to NUFC goal v Brentford
Speaking to Premier League Productions after the game, Tonali addressed whether he meant the shot.
“Honestly, it was 70% cross and 30% shot,” he admitted. “It was difficult for the goalkeeper and difficult also for me. Also a little bit of luck.”
When pushed further on the goal when speaking to Sky Sports, Tonali then admitted: “I want to be honest…it was a cross.”
Eddie Howe’s tongue-in-cheek response to Sandro Tonali goal
Howe was told Tonali didn’t necessarily mean his goal but opted to praise the Italian for his stunning technique, even if it wasn’t intentional.
“Well, I've seen him practice in the last few weeks actually from that kind of angle,” Howe said with a smirk. “Let me say one thing about Sandro, he can hit a ball like no one.
“When he strikes it, I fear for our goalkeeper's wrist sometimes because he can hit it that hard. I wouldn't put it past him.
“It was a big moment in the game because we needed it at that moment. The game was very much in the balance, so it's a big moment in our season.”
Sandro Tonali: ‘Technically outstanding’
Howe added: “Technically he's an outstanding player. I mean, I think Sandro, the beauty of him, he doesn't tend to try and do difficult things.
“Now, the goal he scored today is incredibly difficult. But just in his general play, he makes good decisions.
“He doesn't over-complicate the game. Off both feet, he's a very, very clever player, a very intelligent player.
“When he's shooting, he has the ability to hit balls from range. And I see that, get the privilege of seeing that every day.
“And from distance, he does a lot of shooting, and it's something that I think he continues to do. I think he does have goals in him. We can't let anything tarnish that wonderful strike.”
Eddie Howe reflects on vital win for Newcastle United
It’s now three wins in a row for Newcastle in all competitions as they avoided a Carabao Cup hangover and now head into the final nine matches in a strong position in their battle for Champions League qualification.
“You're never quite sure how the players are going to respond to the aftermath of the cup final, which was an unbelievable moment,” Howe said. “But of course football moves on very quickly and we have to be right back into this league.
“You can't take a breather for a second. So I was really hoping the players would be professional, put Wembley behind them and move forward and work. And we did and we had to work.
“I think it was a massive win in our season. Credit to everybody because that wasn't an easy game. Yes, I think he's done really well.”