Sandro Tonali might have imagined a warmer welcome on his first trip back to face Newcastle United. Instead, the Tottenham midfielder spent most of the evening watching from the bench as his former teammates cruised to a comfortable 2-0 win.
The result was not the fairytale return Tonali had in mind after completing a move to Spurs that could rise to £100m last month. Newcastle, however, have started life without the Italian in promising fashion, using a similar combined fee to bring in Nico Gonzalez, Amar Dedic, and goalkeeper Lukas Hornicek.
Several players already at the club under new boss Matthias Jaissle also look refreshed, with Anthony Elanga and Yoane Wissa catching the eye. Despite the victory, Jaissle was quick to remind everyone that Newcastle still have plenty of work to do.
Newcastle reshape squad following Tonali exit
Much has changed at Newcastle since Eddie Howe took charge of his final game, a 4-1 friendly loss to Bristol City exactly 30 days earlier. Tonali had already left, Anthony Gordon had signed for Barcelona, and captain Bruno Guimarães was being linked with a switch to Arsenal.
The club have added more faces since then, although only Gonzalez among their seven summer arrivals had prior Premier League experience. Every new signing is aged 24 or younger.
Dedic has wasted no time in making an impact following his £30m move from Benfica, while Hornicek has adapted well to the rigours of English football since joining from Braga for £25.7m.
Hornicek proved vital in the opening period against Tottenham, pulling off three important stops. Jaissle also showed his passion when Lewis Hall blocked a goalbound effort from Pedro Porro.
Newcastle keep clean sheet and show Jaissle influence
Newcastle managed only four away league wins last season and had not kept a clean sheet in any competition since March. Holding Spurs level at the break gave the visitors a platform to regroup and adjust their tactics.
Jaissle’s side came out with more intensity after the interval and took apart Tottenham with just two attempts on target. Gonzalez set up the opener with a brilliant switch of play over Andy Robertson for Dedic, who laid it off to Elanga.
Elanga then twisted Tonali inside the box before firing a low shot in off the post. Gonzalez revealed that Jaissle had urged him to try such passes, and he feels the approach can bring Newcastle more goals.
The second goal arrived from a Sean Steur corner. Nick Woltemade headed it down, and Wissa finished with an acrobatic volley to seal the points.
Elanga and Wissa step up for Newcastle
The win was especially satisfying because Elanga and Wissa, rather than the new signings, made the difference. Both had difficult first campaigns at Newcastle but showed signs of improvement against Liverpool on the opening day.
They continued that upward curve under Jaissle, who has already demanded full commitment from his squad. Wissa spoke warmly about the new manager, calling him an energetic coach who expects total effort from everyone.
Jaissle stayed grounded after his first Premier League triumph, insisting Newcastle have their own targets and must remain level-headed despite the encouraging start.
“We are also smart enough to see a long journey ahead of us, and there will be challenges as well,” he said.