Sandro Tonali showed signs of his usual self on Saturday night, as his second-half brace kick-started our comeback in the 3-1 win away at Aston Villa in the FA Cup.
After some admittedly lacklustre displays from the Italian, and amidst some ongoing rumours linking him with a move away from St James’ Park in the summer, his vital performance at Villa Park showed he’s still one of the very best midfielders in the Premier League.
The potential highlight of Tonali’s two goals? The subsequent celebration with Eddie Howe and the rest of the team, the clearest indicator yet that he remains committed to the cause, as his latest quotes highlight.
Speaking to NUFC TV following on from Saturday’s win, Tonali addressed speculation about his relationship with Eddie Howe after all the agent talk and rumours about a possible move away from Newcastle.
In reality, things couldn’t be further from the truth according to the former AC Milan star, who raved about how close he is to the manager who signed him back in the summer of 2023.
“After the second goal I came to Eddie Howe, because in the past few weeks, people spoke about our relationship.
“But I work every day with the gaffer, the gaffer works every day with me, and our relationship is perfect. It’s not broken and I think this is perfect for the team.
“We try to do the best for this team, every game, because we play a lot of games, every three days, we play, and we have to be concentrated every time in the training ground to do the best for our team.”
During his time sidelined from suspension, Tonali made it abundantly clear that he would do all he can to repay the faith the club and the fans showed him throughout his ordeal.
And as easy it could be for his head to be turned by prospects and opportunities elsewhere, Tonali is sticking to his promise and remains committed to the club, celebrating both his personal milestones and his teammates achievements as well.
“For me, it’s my first two goals of the season. Every time you score, your day is different. I’m happy because I tried to score for the last two months.
“The first thing that is (almost) most important is the team. I’m pleased especially for Nick (Woltemade) because he played in midfield and did very well. It was tough for him – totally different – and he scored the last goal.
“I’m happy for him. I’m happy for every player, for the staff, for the fans. They came here, it was an amazing game and we played very well. I think this game is so important because we want to come back to Wembley.”
Next up in our push towards Wembley? A home tie with Man City in the last 16 of the FA Cup!