Anthony Elanga is starting to come good at just the right time for Newcastle United after a slow start to life on Tyneside.
Following his £55 million move from Nottingham Forest, Newcastle fans were expecting the explosive Elanga to hit the ground running at St James’ Park, especially off the back of such a good season for Forest.
For whatever reason, though, the Swede has struggled for much of the season since his arrival. He’s found it hard to nail down a regular place in Eddie Howe’s side, hasn’t scored a Premier League goal all season and has often played like a man sorely lacking in confidence.
However, since scoring his first goal for the club against Manchester City, the pacey winger has visibly grown in confidence, and bagging two well-taken goals against Barcelona at the Nou Camp will certainly have helped. But should he have had more last night?
Anthony Elanga spoke to TNT Sports after last night’s Champions League battering at Barcelona, referring to it as a ‘game of errors’ on Newcastle’s part.
He also spoke about the penalty incident that was waved away by the referee and VAR, questioning how they can give Barcelona a spot kick for Kieran Trippier’s pull on Raphinha, but ignore Joao Cancelo’s grab in the box.
Discussing that incident and his brace, where he became just the third players in knockout history to score a Champions League brace at the Nou Camp, Elanga said:
“I thought it might have been a penalty.
“I’ve not watched it back yet, but I feel like if the referee gives one, he’s got to give the other.”
“On a personal level it’s nice to score, but I want those goals to turn into something. To win, to help the team, so it’s something I can build on.
“But I’m just dissapointed in the way we lost, and the goals we conceded. We have to focus on the future now.”
On where the game was won and lost, Elanga bemoaned what proved to be a “game of errors”, hoping we can learn from this and put it right against Sunderland on Sunday.
“When you make mistakes, teams like Barca punish you. It was just errors that cost us really. We were in the game for most of it, so it’s something we need to reflect on.
“I am proud of the lads for everything we’d done in the competition, but it’s such a shame that we lost in the manner we did. We could’ve played better. It was a game of errors really. So it’s something we have to look back on.
“We played well in the first half and should’ve built on that in the second. But we have to focus on the positives now and make it right on Sunday.”
“It was just a game of errors really”
Anthony Elanga is looking for Newcastle to learn from their mistakes against Barcelona 📈@msmith850 | @tntsports & @discoveryplusUK pic.twitter.com/Bqs2DeNRVH
— Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) March 18, 2026
The result no doubt took the wind out of Elanga’s sails, but he has every right to feel extremely proud of his efforts on the big stage, particularly in the first half.
Elanga has clearly been working extremely hard all season to get to a point where he can stake a claim for a regular place in the starting XI, and we believe he’s finally starting to make a good case for himself.
But he has to kick on and start producing performances like this on a regular basis. His final actions have been what’s let him down in the past, so hopefully his Barcelona brace can be the start of him producing the sort of moments needed to justify that £55 million price tag.
It couldn’t have come at a better time, either, as Newcastle must now push on in the Premier League to try and get back into Europe, in whatever form, next season.