Anthony Elanga has endured a very tough start to his Newcastle United career.
The Swedish winger did not hit the ground running after his £55million arrival from Nottingham Forest, but Saturday suggested that the tide could be turning.
He was massively impactful in Newcastle United’s 4-1 win over Everton, with Anthony Elanga getting his first official assist for his new club. It was his pass that resulted in Nick Woltemade’s audacious lob, and that was not Elanga’s only contribution.
He won the corner that led to the Magpies’ first goal, while he was also involved in the build-up for the second. Elanga can be extremely happy with his performance against Everton, and he will suddenly feel much more confident ahead of Tuesday night’s clash with Tottenham Hotspur.
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The last time Tottenham came to St James’ Park…
Eddie Howe tips Anthony Elanga to get better and better for Newcastle United
That confidence will only have grown after what Eddie Howe said about the 23-year-old ahead of Tuesday night’s game against Tottenham Hotspur.
The Newcastle United manager was asked about Elanga during his pre-match press conference, with Howe admitting that the attacker is only going to keep improving as he continues to settle into life up north.
“The first transition of the game right from kick-off [against Everton] is him running the length of the pitch onto a pass from Nick and almost scoring,” he said via the club’s official website.
“That set the tone for us and he can be very pleased with his contribution [on Saturday].
“He’s beginning to settle into the rhythm of life at Newcastle because it is a change for any player. I see a very level, steady performer and I think he’ll continue to get better and better.”
Kind words from Howe on Elanga, but does he start against Spurs? I’m not sure…
Eddie Howe must give Anthony Elanga the chance to capitalise on confidence
Elanga was a surprise inclusion in the Newcastle United starting XI on Saturday night.
He certainly seized his opportunity, and now he must be rewarded with another start against Spurs.
Elanga is clearly a confidence player, and he should suddenly feel more confident than ever since joining Newcastle United. Howe must capitalise on that and keep him in his side on Tuesday.
Starting the Swede again will send him a strong message, and should only encourage him to continue performing at a high level. In turn, that will give him a chance to prove Howe right in saying he is going to keep getting better.
However, the problem for Elanga is that Howe also has Anthony Gordon and Jacob Murphy pushing to start. With Newcastle needing to keep things fresh amid their gruelling run of fixtures, there remains a chance that Elanga could drop back to the bench despite his Everton heroics.
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