Anthony Elanga has revealed his relief after finally scoring his first Newcastle United goal at St James' Park, ending a year-long wait in front of the home supporters.
The Sweden international opened his account on Tyneside in Sunday's 2-2 draw with Liverpool, cutting in from the right wing towards the Leazes End and slotting past Alisson. It was a stark contrast to his Premier League debut in August 2025, when a similar run at Villa Park ended with a missed chance in a 0-0 stalemate, sparking a seven-month drought before a consolation goal in the 5-1 aggregate Carabao Cup semi-final defeat to Manchester City.
Relief after long wait
Speaking about ending his barren run at St James' Park, Elanga said: "Relief! Something I've wanted to do for a long time.
"I've been working hard for these moments, especially in the summer and after the World Cup. I wanted to work on my game and I took that opportunity. It was the first shot of the game. It was a moment I really wanted to take.
"The whole team played really well against Liverpool. If we can apply ourselves like that every single week, we are going to have a fantastic season."
Life under new boss
Newcastle paid Nottingham Forest £55m for Elanga last summer, but he struggled to hit the ground running, and by mid-winter former boss Eddie Howe had appealed to fans to "show love" to the ex-Manchester United winger.
Now the 24-year-old is enjoying life under new head coach Matthias Jaissle, who took charge just three weeks ago. Elanga said: "The manager has been top since he has come in. The way he wants us to play, you can all see it on and off the ball.
"When we go, we really go for it. We could've finished off this game earlier as we created a lot of opportunities. But it's the first game. There are still 37 games left in the Premier League. It feels fun. Hopefully it looks fun for those watching.
"When I am on the pitch, I feel really good and that's the way I always want to feel. Thanks to the manager and his staff for instilling it in me and the rest of the team."
Progress on display
Only a stoppage-time penalty against Liverpool denied Jaissle a famous opening-day win at St James' Park, but Elanga is already seeing signs of major progress under the former Hoffenheim boss.
He added: "To think the manager [Matthias Jaissle] has been here for just three weeks and we played like that out there, It's important we take the positives from this game and apply them in the next game."
