Yoane Wissa doesn’t have to look far for inspiration.
Newcastle United’s legendary number nine shirt has been worn by prolific strikers like Alan Shearer, Jackie Milburn, Andy Cole, Malcolm Macdonald, and Les Ferdinand.
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Now, Wissa carries on that proud tradition, reminding everyone of his potential with an impressive performance in his team’s 3-0 Champions League victory over PSV Eindhoven at St James’ Park.
On a night when fans displayed a banner encouraging their team to “write the next headline,” Wissa certainly delivered.
He opened the scoring within just eight minutes and also played a crucial role in the second goal by aggressively pressing PSV’s Yarek Gasiorowski.
It’s no surprise that the man of the match left the pitch to a standing ovation after being substituted by head coach Eddie Howe midway through the second half.
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After suffering a knee injury on international duty with DR Congo in September, the chance to experience such moments under the floodlights had long served as motivation for Wissa.
“It’s been a tough start for him here,” Howe said. “For any new player to come in and immediately face a serious injury without even having a training session, that’s really challenging mentally.
“It’s taken time to get him close to his best, and I believe there’s still more to come from him. Tonight was significant for him because he came here for nights like this, and I’m delighted he made such a positive impact.”
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‘I loved his attitude, determination, and aggression’
It has taken Wissa time to reach this level of performance.
Despite having a disrupted pre-season due to his transition from Brentford, he has scored just three goals since joining Newcastle last month.
At times, he has appeared rusty, missing opportunities like the critical chance to score against Manchester City in the Carabao Cup semi-finals last week.
However, Wednesday night highlighted what he is capable of bringing to the team.
Howe urged Wissa to “max out” before the match, and he effectively led the press against a naive PSV team that repeatedly attempted to play from the back.
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This performance did not go unnoticed by teammate Harvey Barnes.
“He’s had a challenging start since arriving here,” he told TNT Sports. “Being injured for an extended period is tough. I had a similar experience, so I understand how happy he must be after scoring his first Champions League goal. I thought he played exceptionally well, so I’m thrilled for him.”
The challenge for Wissa now is to find a consistent scoring rhythm.
As a poacher, he brings a different style compared to the tall Nick Woltemade, who tends to drop deeper.
Among forwards with at least 250 minutes played in the Premier League this season, Wissa ranks first in cross-option runs per game—defined by Opta as runs into the penalty area to receive a cross while a teammate is in a wide position.
He also ranks 15th for runs made behind the defense.
Considering their distinct qualities, Howe felt Wissa’s availability was “transformative” after Woltemade had to carry the attacking burden during his absence.
It was always intended for both players to share the workload following Newcastle’s loss of top scorer Alexander Isak to Liverpool last summer, and Wissa’s prior Premier League experience justified the hefty £55 million transfer fee.
“Yoane’s career at Brentford was impressive to watch from afar; he was outstanding for them, scoring crucial goals,” Howe said.
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“I really appreciated his attitude, determination, and aggression on the pitch.”
A showdown in Paris awaits
Such aggression makes Wissa likely to start against holders Paris St-Germain next week.
Newcastle finds itself in a strong position heading into the final game of the league phase, sitting seventh in the standings.
The team has secured a spot in the last 16 play-off and still has a chance to advance to the knockout stages directly with a remarkable result at Parc des Princes next week.
While Howe downplayed talk of “revenge” after a controversial stoppage-time penalty awarded against his team during their last trip to the French capital in 2023, the squad won’t need any extra motivation.
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“We know what we can achieve when we show up against teams,” Barnes added. “We were left with a sour taste after the last match a couple of years ago, and it’s one we definitely want to rectify. It’s a massive challenge—they’re a high-quality team—but why not?”