Anthony Elanga of Newcastle looks on during the UEFA Champions League 2025/26 League Phase MD3 match between Newcastle United FC and SL Benfica at St James' Park on October 21, 2025 in Newcastle upon Tyne, England. (Photo by Stu Forster/Getty Images)placeholder image
Anthony Elanga of Newcastle looks on during the UEFA Champions League 2025/26 League Phase MD3 match between Newcastle United FC and SL Benfica at St James' Park on October 21, 2025 in Newcastle upon Tyne, England. (Photo by Stu Forster/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Anthony Elanga has endured a slow start at Newcastle United following his £55m move from Nottingham Forest.
They do say a few days is a long time in football and it was only on Saturday, following the 2-1 defeat away to Brighton & Hove Albion, that Eddie Howe faced questions on being over-reliant on £69million club-record signing Nick Woltemade.
With Woltemade not your typical number nine, namely because of his outstanding ability to drop deep and link up play, the post-Brighton and pre-Benfica chat focused on the Magpies’ wide players needing to do more to eradicate the team’s attacking problems.
And just like that, not one, or two, but three wide men came up trumps as United beat Jose Mourinho’s Benfica 3-0 in the Champions League on Tuesday night.
Eddie Howe’s telling Anthony Elanga snub v Benfica
Anthony Gordon was simply unplayable, scoring the opener before assisting one of Harvey Barnes’ two goals after he came on as a 63rd-minute substitute. And there was also Jacob Murphy, in for Anthony Elanga, to set up Gordon’s opener, as well as threaten to score himself.
The trio lapped up the plaudits and rightly so, but looking with a critical eye - and maybe that seems harsh to do after such a positive evening - but it has done little to help Elanga’s cause.
A £55million summer signing from Nottingham Forest, Elanga was brought in to hit the ground running but after 12 appearances, seven of which have been starts, the former Manchester United academy graduate has no goals and no assists.
Elanga was hooked at half-time at Brighton on Saturday, so it was therefore no surprise that Murphy, after a positive 45 minutes on the South Coast, then got the nod against Benfica.
But what was a surprise and seemed very telling was Howe’s decision to bring on Barnes, a recognised left-winger, ahead of Elanga for Murphy. It wasn’t until the 83rd minute that Elanga got on the pitch, replacing Gordon, who had run himself into the ground.
Eddie Howe has high hopes for Anthony Elanga at Newcastle United
Howe has twice defended Elanga this week and reiterated his belief in the 23-year-old. Confident, you suspect, may be an issue.
Speaking ahead of the Benfica game, Howe said: “Anthony is an outstanding player and I have no doubt about his long-term qualities for the team. There is a settling-in period for him that he’s going through. He’s having to make slight adjustments to his game.
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“If you look back at a highlight reel of what he’s delivered, he’s put some great crosses in, albeit no direct goal outputs, that’s not all down to his contribution, we should have scored from some of them.
“But I think he’s got a lot more to give and I’ve got no doubt about his success.”
History tells you that Elanga will come good through Howe’s proven track record of improving players. But when assessing the short-term, it’s fair to say Elanga hasn’t made the impact expected.
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