Newcastle edge Brentford 2-1, thanks to Tonali’s stunning strike and Isak’s 20th goal
- Ayda Salem
- 8 hours ago
- 2 min read
NEWCASTLE April 4, 2025, England: Sandro Tonali scored a stunning winner and Alexander Isak netted his 20th Premier League goal of the season as Newcastle United defeated Brentford 2-1 on Wednesday to strengthen their Champions League hopes.
Tonali’s 74th-minute strike, a shot from a tight angle near the right-hand touchline, left Brentford goalkeeper Mark Flekken helpless. “Honestly, it was 70 percent cross and 30 percent shot,” said the Italian midfielder. “It was difficult for the goalkeeper and difficult also for me. Also a little bit of luck.”
Isak reached his milestone for the second consecutive season, tapping in Jacob Murphy’s cross from close range in first-half stoppage time, following a mistake from reported Newcastle target Bryan Mbeumo.
Earlier, Isak had missed a clear chance by passing to Harvey Barnes, whose header was ruled offside, instead of taking the shot himself in an unusual moment of indecision.
Mbeumo equalized for Brentford in the 66th minute with a calm penalty, sending Newcastle goalkeeper Nick Pope the wrong way for his 15th goal of the season after Pope fouled Yoane Wissa.
Brentford continued to press after Tonali’s goal, coming close in stoppage time with a late penalty shout and a VAR check after Mikkel Damsgaard went down, in a tense finish for the home crowd. Damsgaard had also fired over the bar earlier.
Newcastle, who played for the first time since their historic League Cup win at Wembley, now sit fifth with 50 points, just one behind reigning champions Manchester City and with a game in hand. Brentford are 11th with 41 points.
Tonali commented, “This win is nice for the Champions League for us, we have a good week and it is perfect for this week. Now we play only for the first five teams, for the Champions League.”
Mbeumo, who has scored all 10 of his penalties, said Brentford deserved more from the game, noting that Ethan Pinnock had also hit the post with a header. “It was a good performance but at the end it was not enough,” he said. “It is hard to take.