Anthony Elanga scored for Newcastle United against Liverpool in the opening match of the new Premier League season, ending a run of 40 top-flight appearances without a goal.
The Sweden international, who joined Newcastle from Nottingham Forest, found the net against Liverpool but could not use his goal to help the Magpies secure victory. The result left Elanga dissatisfied despite his personal achievement.
The strike was his first in the Premier League since leaving Manchester United for Nottingham Forest. His previous goal in the competition had also come against Manchester United, although on that occasion he was playing for Forest.
That goal was scored on 1 April 2025, during the 30th round of the 2024-25 Premier League campaign. It came while Elanga was part of the Forest team, a spell that lasted from 2023 until 2025.
His latest effort therefore brought an end to a lengthy scoring drought in the English top flight. Across his previous 40 Premier League matches, the winger had been unable to score before opening his account against Liverpool in Newcastle’s first fixture of the new season.
Elanga’s goal was an important personal milestone, but it was overshadowed by Newcastle’s failure to turn it into a winning result. The Sweden international was particularly unhappy that his contribution did not lead to a victory for his new side.
The match also created a notable link between the two goals. In April 2025, Elanga scored against Manchester United while wearing the colours of Nottingham Forest. His first Premier League goal after that wait came against Liverpool, this time as a Newcastle player.
The move between Forest and Newcastle means the 2025-26 campaign began with Elanga representing his new club and immediately facing one of the league’s biggest opponents. Although his goal ended the unwanted run, the winger’s reaction underlined that individual success was not enough without a positive team result.
For Newcastle, the match marked the start of a new Premier League campaign. For Elanga, it represented a return to the scoresheet after 40 appearances without finding the net in the competition. The goal against Liverpool provided an early boost to his confidence, while the outcome ensured that the occasion was not entirely satisfying for the winger or the club.
Elanga will now look to build on the goal as the season continues, having finally broken the drought that began after his previous effort for Nottingham Forest against Manchester United on 1 April 2025.
