Anthony Elanga needed just four minutes. Sweden were 4-0 down against the Netherlands in their second group game at the World Cup when the substitute entered the fray. He raced through and finished off a blistering counter-attack – a glimpse of the rapid forward Newcastle United thought they had signed from Nottingham Forest.
Elanga took that momentum into his next game against Japan as a starter, cutting inside and curling a shot to draw Sweden level. Yoane Wissa, his Newcastle team-mate, also found the net for DR Congo. The pair ended up scoring as many goals combined at the World Cup – five – as they did during their entire first campaign at St James' Park.
“Elanga and Wissa scored five World Cup goals after struggling at Newcastle last season.”
The tournament offered a glimmer that the duo who first grabbed Newcastle's attention might finally be returning. But last season told a different story.
Newcastle United had appeared to crack the code of Premier League transfers. Alexander Isak, Bruno Guimaraes, Kieran Trippier and Dan Burn were huge successes. But last summer, aside from defender Malick Thiaw, the club did not see enough of an immediate return from a £100m-plus net spend. Elanga and Wissa, signed from Nottingham Forest and Brentford respectively, struggled to adapt.
"I believe in all those signings," head coach Eddie Howe said in one of his final news conferences last season. "I think they will come good."
The coming months will tell a lot more. Newcastle are currently finalising a move for Hoffenheim winger Bazoumana Toure, but they also need a lot more from those who arrived last summer.
Elanga showed flashes of promise – a double in the Nou Camp in the Champions League knockout stages, causing Liverpool and Barcelona's defences real problems with his pace at St James' Park, only for a team-mate to fail to put away his crosses. But it did not consistently come together, especially against low blocks, and there were some bruising moments.
"He's the kind of player that can change a game," said former Newcastle and Sweden team-mate Emil Krafth. Elanga showed that at Nottingham Forest, but found it a challenge adapting to a new detailed system at Newcastle, even after a full pre-season.
It is always dangerous to read too much into World Cup performances. But Elanga and Wissa have offered positive signs. Can they take that renewed confidence back to Tyneside?