Sandro Tonali makes Newcastle statement as Eddie Howe's men reach Carabao Cup semi-final
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Sandro Tonali has waited 17 months to set Newcastle alight - and his double strike sent the Geordies into the last four of the Carabao Cup. The ex-AC Milan midfielder endured a ten month betting ban last season, and a slow start to his career on Tyneside as the club worked out how to unlock his strengths. But now the Italy international is looking like the main man, anchoring the midfield and rediscovering his goalscoring touch with his first since his debut last season.
Newcastle brushed aside a meek challenge from a depleted Brentford whose miserable away is a brake on their ambitions. Newcastle had 51,765 fans in to see Howe’s side reach their second semi final in three years, with the games taking place on January 8 and February 5.
The only bad news for the victors was Bruno Guimaraes and Fabian Schar picking up yellow cards and being suspended for the first leg. Tonali is looking confident, sharp and powerful after being nursed back into the team recently by his patient head coach. He has been linked with moves back to Italy, but his current form makes him untouchable.
Howe has unlocked a formula for getting the best out of Tonali by playing him as a deep lying central midfielder. Tonali had not scored since his debut for Newcastle on the first day of last season but saved a beauty for a huge game and his first strike since his betting ban.
Unlike Brentford, the home side played their strongest line up. Tino Livramento charged down the right wing and his cross was cleared to the edge of the box by Nathan Collins. Tonali was lurking and drilled a sweetly struck volley through the defensive bodies past Mark Flekken.
