The on-loan Newcastle United man scored the only goal at Rotherham.
Christian Atsu marked his first Newcastle United start in style on Saturday.
The 24-year-old winger scored the only goal of the game as the Magpies beat Rotherham United 1-0 yesterday afternoon.
It was the Ghanaian’s first goal for the club following a season-long loan move from Premier League side Chelsea.
The win lifted in-form Newcastle – who have lost one of their last nine Championship games – to 22 points, with Rafael Benitez’s side two places and three points behind top-of-the-table Huddersfield Town.
The Spanish manager was complimentary toward Atsu on Newcastle’s official website at full time, praising the winger’s “great” performance against the Millers.
“I think it was great. He scored a great goal and had some good situations, one-versus-one, that we were looking for,” said Benitez to Newcastle’s website.
“He had a good chance in the second half and he could have scored the second goal. It’s what we were expecting from him – a player that can beat players and can make a difference.”
With the domestic calendar set to be halted for two weeks due to the international break, going into the interval on the back of a win was huge for the Magpies.
When club football resumes in a fortnight’s time, Benitez’s side continue their promotion push by hosting Brentford at St James’s Park.
Newcastle United manager Rafael Benitez speaks to Newcastle United’s Vurnon Anita after he is sent off
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