Sandro Tonali pulls the strings as Newcastle beat 10-man Aston Villa
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Sandro Tonali has brought Newcastle an abundance of riches but perhaps foremost among them it is the rare ability to slow games down that offers Eddie Howe’s high-intensity team the sort of invaluable control they have so often lacked in recent months.
![[Jhon Durán treads on Newcastle’s Fabian Schär]](https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/128aa9c87f851ba394211063ac23de607a7db0da/0_145_5548_3329/master/5548.jpg?width=445&dpr=1&s=none&crop=none)
With the Italian once again imperious at the base of midfield as he ran through his Andrea Pirlo-esque repertoire of short and long passes, seamless interceptions and all-round superior vision, Newcastle were in front even before Jhon Durán’s controversial, 32nd-minute, sending-off.
By the end, the very much in-form Alexander Isak had scored again as Howe’s team rose to fifth, vindicating their manager’s pre-match suggestion that they are realistic contenders for Champions League qualification again after all. Newcastle were ahead after two minutes. It all began with Tonali demonstrating precisely why the recent upturn in Howe’s fortunes has coincided with the Italy midfielder’s relocation from a No 8 role to No 6.
His latest game-changing intervention involved Tonali stealing possession near the halfway-line before leaving Villa’s players to watch in horror as he, Bruno Guimarães and Joelinton combined to play in Anthony Gordon. When Matty Cash unwisely backed off, the England left-winger cut inside on his right foot before directing a gloriously curling, dipping shot beyond the stretching Emiliano Martínez’s reach as it arrowed inexorably towards the far top corner.
