A stunning strike by Sandro Tonali secured Newcastle United a 2-1 victory over Brentford in their first match after winning the EFL Cup.
Tonali's powerful shot from the right touchline caught Mark Flekken off guard, potentially making it a contender for goal of the season. Earlier, Alexander Isak had scored his 20th Premier League goal of the season, converting Jacob Murphy's excellent cross during first-half stoppage time.
Brentford equalised in the 66th minute when Bryan Mbeumo calmly converted a penalty after Nick Pope fouled Yoane Wissa. Following this, Thomas Frank's team appeared more likely to take the lead, with Ethan Pinnock hitting the post just two minutes after levelling the score. However, they failed to capitalise on their chances, allowing Tonali to net his decisive winner 16 minutes from time.
Despite late opportunities for Kevin Schade and Mikkel Damsgaard to secure a draw, Newcastle held firm for an important win. This victory propelled Eddie Howe's squad to fifth place in the Premier League standings as they aim for Champions League qualification. Meanwhile, Brentford remained in 11th position following this defeat.
Alexander Isak's performance was noteworthy as he became only the third Newcastle player to score at least 10 goals both home and away in a single Premier League season. He joined Alan Shearer and Andy Cole in achieving this feat. Isak is now just one goal behind Erling Haaland in the race for the Golden Boot.
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This match highlighted Brentford's challenges against higher-ranked teams this season. Nine of their twelve victories have been against lower-ranked sides, while ten of their thirteen losses have come against teams above them in the league table. Newcastle has dominated recent encounters with Brentford, winning ten out of their last twelve meetings and scoring at least two goals in eleven of those matches.
The outcome emphasised Newcastle's strong form against Brentford and underscored Brentford's difficulties when facing top-tier opponents. As Newcastle continues its pursuit of European football next season, Brentford will need to address these issues to improve their standing in future campaigns.
