Sandro Tonali paid off the first instalment of his £52million transfer fee as he marked a fine debut with his first goal and inspired Newcastle to a 5-1 drubbing of Aston Villa.

The 23-year-old Italy international opened the scoring just six minutes into his first competitive appearance for the

Magpies and had a hand in two more of their goals as Alexander Isak helped himself to a double and substitutes

Callum Wilson and Harvey Barnes struck late on after Moussa Diaby, also making his bow in England’s top flight, had levelled.

However, a hugely entertaining game win was overshadowed by a potentially serious injury to Villa’s England defender Tyrone Mings, who was carried from the pitch on a stretcher to warm applause from a crowd of 52,207 at St James Park after going down following a clash with Isak.

Neither Tonali nor Diaby wasted any time in making a significant impact for their new employers.

Less than six minutes had elapsed when the Italian timed his arrival into the six-yard box perfectly to volley home

Anthony Gordon’s cross after Emiliano Martinez had parried Bruno Guimaraes strike, and he might have doubled his

tally two minutes later but for the goalkeeper’s block.

However, Newcastle’s advantage lasted only fleetingly when Diaby, who had seen an earlier attempt from a tight

angle saved by Nick Pope, was similarly well placed to equalise after Ollie Watkins had flicked on Lucas Digne’s left-wing cross.

But the impressive Tonali was not finished and it was his deep 16th-minute cross which was turned acrobatically

across goal by the stretching Sven Botman for Alexander Isak to open his account for the season from close range.

Pope was relieved to see Watkins’ scuffed first-time effort from livewire Diaby’s pull-back after another menacing

run slide just wide as an end-to-end encounter unfolded at frantic pace.

Villa’s fortunes took a further turn for the worse when Mings, just days after midfielder Emiliano Buendia suffered a

serious knee injury, was carried from the field following a tangle of legs with Isak.