Sandro Tonali
LEVERKUSEN, GERMANY – 10 DECEMBER, 2025: Sandro Tonali – UEFA Champions League, match Bayer 04 Leverkusen vs Newcastle United at BayArena.
Newcastle United star Sandro Tonali has admitted he was left stunned by Jordan Pickford’s superb save to deny him.
Tuttosport have an interview with the Newcastle star today. He has taken a conciliatory approach as Pickford continues to earn praise for his save‑of‑the‑season contender.
Newcastle hosted Everton on Saturday afternoon in a thrilling encounter at St James Park. Everton ran out 3-2 winners thanks to Thierno Barry’s 83rd minute strike.
Tonali thought he had levelled the scores for a third time, though, when he met a clearance superbly on the edge of the box with a perfectly timed missile like volley.
Everton’s hero
It seemed certain to hit the back of the net, but Pickford produced a stunning save to tip it onto the crossbar. He launched himself full stretch to turn the shot away, preserving Everton’s lead and securing all three points.
The save drew immediate surprise from the Newcastle crowd, as well as praise afterwards.
While Pickford stated it was the best he’d produced, Newcastle manager Eddie Howe admitted it was one of the best saves he’d seen live. David Moyes described it as out of this world.
Newcastle stunned
Even Newcastle legend Alan Shearer weighed in. He described the save as world class in his analysis after the game. Tonali felt similarly impressed and admitted he spoke to Pickford afterwards.
“Yes, the save was great! It bothers me a little, but in the end, when a player does something great, you have to tell him,” he said.
“You can’t beat around the bush. I congratulated him right away after the match: he did something that rarely happens. I may have made one of the best shots of my life. It was definitely the best save against me.
“The great thing is that here in every game you have a player who impresses you. That’s the real plus of the Premier League.
“Every team you play against, even if you don’t know all the players, you discover that they have their own quality. No one should be underestimated.”