Anthony Elanga’s breakaway goal in the fourth minute of Newcastle’s 2-2 stalemate with Liverpool on Sunday appeared significant at the time.
Twelve months earlier, on his first appearance for the club, the winger found himself in comparable circumstances during a match against Aston Villa. A pass from Sandro Tonali carved open Villa’s defence and Elanga bore down on the ball before seeing his close-range attempt denied by Marco Bizot.
The Sweden international had arrived on Tyneside the previous summer for £55million but endured a difficult inaugural campaign, appearing a mere echo of the player who had contributed six goals and 12 assists during his time at Nottingham Forest. Despite notching a double against Barcelona in the Champions League and finding the net in the Carabao Cup semi-final versus Manchester City, he failed to register a single Premier League goal throughout his debut season with the Magpies.
That near-miss at Villa Park seemed like a pivotal crossroads, and an overwhelming sense of familiarity returned when another opportunity arose on Sunday.
Elanga had impressed during the World Cup, striking twice as Sweden progressed to the knockout rounds before succumbing to France, and had displayed sharp form throughout pre-season training. To maintain that upward trajectory, he needed to convert on Sunday – and he delivered precisely that, accelerating 61 yards to outpace Milos Kerkez and reach Will Osula’s through ball before lashing his finish beyond Alisson and into the far corner.
Not only did this hand Newcastle an early advantage but it offered a glimpse into Matthias Jaissle’s vision for extracting the optimum output from the 24-year-old this term, exploiting his blistering speed as a tactical weapon.
The Magpies aim to press high and aggressively while remaining clinical upon regaining the ball. Jaissle desires his side to advance towards goal swiftly. Elanga will prove central to that approach.
He began on the right flank of Newcastle’s 4-2-3-1 system, with Yoane Wissa operating in the number ten position behind striker Will Osula. Yet both Wissa and Osula’s defensive efforts stood out, enabling Elanga to conserve energy defensively so he could serve as their primary attacking outlet.
Wissa contested more aerial and ground duels than any other Newcastle player on the field (19 in total) and earned more free-kicks (four) than any team-mate. His relentless industry covered every inch of the pitch while Osula also tracked back to assist colleagues.
This permitted Elanga’s average positioning to sit higher than any of Newcastle’s other forwards, keeping him available as an outlet for swift counter-attacks.
When he did drop deeper, he remained capable of influencing proceedings in attack – demonstrated perfectly by his goal. He had to surge from inside his own half to connect with the pass, leaving Kerkez stranded before rifling Newcastle into the lead. The execution even prompted Sky Sports analyst Jamie Carragher to draw comparisons with Thierry Henry, with Carragher noting during Monday Night Football that Elanga had covered significant ground to reach the ball and that his run of 61 yards before his first touch brought Henry’s goal against him to mind, adding that the control was magnificent and the finish excellent.
According to Opta statistics, Elanga and Wissa were Newcastle’s standout performers, each recording 7.84 on their performance rating system.
Having managed zero goals across 32 Premier League appearances last term, breaking his duck in the season opener should inject considerable confidence and provide a foundation to build upon throughout the remainder of the campaign.