Eddie Howe: "We weren't there today"
“We weren’t great today, we were beaten by the better team,” said Newcastle’s manager in a post-match chat with TNT Sports. “I was disappointed from the start, physically we didn’t look anywhere near our best today. Games just caught up with us today, we didn’t have that bounce in our step that we usually have.
“From our perspective we have to be critical of ourselves and just say we weren’t there today. That wasn’t the performances we’ve seen of late and we just have to accept that and come back stronger.
“They played very well. They pressed us very well and upset our rhythm and we didn’t adjust to that. We had our moments but we never felt like we had control like we have in this recent run. There are things for us to reflect on and learn from. I have to give them a lot of credit for how they played and the pressure they put us on and their athleticism and that was the standout feature, particularly in the second half
“We just looked a bit fatigued. That yard of pace we usually have in our usual game we didn’t have. It was bitty and then second half the game got away from us.
“It will be a period of reflection and analysis and then we’ll have to focus on our next game at Southampton. We have a lot to look forward to but it is important we digest today and go again.”
Newcastle 1-4 Bournemouth
Match report: Despite his long list of lame and halt players, Andoni Iraola got on with things and masterminded victory over a Newcastle side with no answers for his side’s ferocious pressing in fine style. Louise Taylor reports from St James’ Park …
The race for the Golden Boot: Now with updated Justin Kluivert in seventh place on 10 goals …
Dan Burn: "It was hard to recover"
“We didn’t start very well,” says Newcastle’s defender, who endured a torrid afternoon along with his teammates. “They set traps and we played into them quite a few times. It was hard to recover. Bournemouth were just the better team today, technically and physically, and deserved to win.
“They are very, very good on the counter. They’ve got some very good players and are very dangerous. They ask questions that a lot of other teams don’t ask. They go quite long and direct and you don’t come up against that as much in this league.
“We played in areas that we usually don’t. We lost the ball quite a lot in the middle of the pitch. It is disappointing. We’ve been on a great run so we just need to dust ourselves down and go again.
“Those are the standards we set for ourselves. The work we’ve done throughout the season has been exactly the same.”
Updated
Antoine Semenyo: "We needed to get the press right"
“It was a crazy performance from us,” says Bournemouth’s stopgap striker in an interview with Premier League Productions. “We just knew we needed to get the press right and if we did we’d get opportunities and as you saw from a couple of the goals we got the press right and got the three points.
“We knew they had moments when they’d keep it at the back and we wanted to catch out the back four. As soon as the goalkeeper passed to the centre back that was our trigger to go and it worked out perfectly. Justin [Kluivert]’s finishes were special. He’s a top player for us. It was a well-deserved hat-trick.”
Updated
A fine win for Bournemouth: The more you think about it, the more impressive that win for Bournemouth becomes as they extended their unbeaten run to 11 games in all competitions.
Andoni Iraola led a side missing 12 memberso f its first-team squad into the belly of the Premier League’s most rampant, in-form beast and completely nullified the impact of Alexander Isak, while spanking four goals past hosts with a defence noted for its parimony.
It’s a remarkable coaching effort on Andoni Iraola’s part and unfortunately for Bournemouth, the young Spaniard is inevitably going to attract admiring glances from other, much wealthier clubs. Spurs spring to mind for a kick-off!
Updated
The table: Bournemouth’s emphatic win moves them up to sixth in the table, level on points with Chelsea but behind them on goal difference. Both teams are a point behind Newcastle, who stay in fourth place for now but could be leapfrogged by one or possibly both of Chelsea and Manchester City before the weekend is out.
Justin Kluivert: “This feels lovely,” says Bournemouth’s hat-trick hero in an interview with TNT Sports. “We know how tough it is to play here especially with the long run they had of the winning streak. To come here with all the injuries that we have, I think we are missing 12 first team players … so to come and play like this is wonderful really. Hats off to all the players.”
Upon being told that he has now scored more goals at St James’ Park than his father did despite playing for Newcastle, Kluivert laughs. “It’s lovely to hear those kind of things, you know? I just want to help my team out, win games and be important for the club. I’m happy with the matchball and the win, for sure.”
Full-time: Newcastle 1-4 Bournemouth
Peep! Peep! Peeeeeeeeep! It’s all over at St James’ Park where Newcastle’s winning streak has been brought to a surprisingly abrupt end by a Bournemouth side who have torn them apart on their own turf. It was an outstanding performance from Andoni Iraola’s injury-ravaged side.
90+8 min: Bournemouth bring on a couple of kids for their Premier League debut as St James’ Park empties at a rate of knots. Remy Rees-Dotton and Ben Winterburn take a bow.
GOAL! Newcastle 1-4 Bournemouth (Kerkez 90+6)
Bournemouth score again! Bournemouth’s left-back advances on the Newcastle penalty area with Trippier backpedalling. The Hungarian decides to try a shot and smashes a diagonal effort past Dubravka and inside the far post. That’s a cracking goal!
Updated
90+5 min: Dean Huijsen sticks out a foot to block a goalbound Anthony Gordon shot on the follow-up.
90+4 min: Kluivert’s other hat-trick this season was comprised entirely of penalties but he’s scored with three beautiful finishes this afternoon. Now Jebbison tries to get in on the goalscoring action but he’s foiled by Dubravka, who rushed to the edge of his area to deny the substitute.
GOAL! Newcastle 1-3 Bournemouth (Kluivert 90+3)
Kluivert scores his hat-trick! It’s his second of the season and he rounds it off with a fine strike from just outside the penalty area that fizzed away from Dubravka and inside the left upright.
Updated
90+2 min: Newcastle substitution: Will Osula on for Guimaraes.
90 min: Jebbison tees up Semenyo with a good shooting opportunity in the Newcastle box but big Dan Burn gets back to make a crucial block as the Bournemouth forward pulls the trigger. We’ll have at least seven minutes of added time.
87 min: After a long delay prompted by the reluctance of Bournemouth’s defenders to retreat 10 yards and a protest from Kepa about Tonali standing in his eyeline (as the Italian is perfectly entitled to do), Alexander Isak blasts the free-kick into the wall.
85 min: Lewis Cook does superbly to win the ball from Willock deep in Newcastle territory but is unable to pick out a teammate with his cross from the right. Newcastle break forward and Jebbison gifts them a free-kick just outside the Bournemouth box with a clumsy foul on Tonali. It’s in a great position but who’ll take it?
82 min: Sandro Tonali plays the ball wide to Willock, who is unable to get past Lewis Cook but wins a free-kick out by the touchline from Bournemouth’s makeshift right-back.
Kepa punches the subsequent Trippier inswinger clear, the ball drops perfectly for Gordon on the edge of the area and his sublime, rasping volley is blocked by Dean Huijsen. I’m not sure how much the Bournemouth defender knew about that but it was a crucial intervention.
80 min: Newcastle have made three substitutions, while Bournemouth have yet to make any. A reminder that their only outfield player on the bench with any Premier League experience is Daniel Jebbison. Ah, here we go – he comes on for David Brooks.
79 min: Tino Livramento tries to drill a low cross into the Newcastle penalty area but a touch from Lewis Cook is enough to take the sting out of his delivery and steer it towards the waiting arms of Kepa.
77 min: The ball finally breaks Isak’s way in the Newcastle penalty area but the high bounce means he’s unable to control it and get a shot away before Huijsen gets in his way and relieves him of possession.
75 min: Referee Stuart Attwell waves his yellow card in the direction of the Bournemouth bench, where assistant coach Tommy Elphick had been complaining about Joelinton going unpunished for what the visitors felt was a foul on Milos Kerkez. It looked a 50-50 tussle to me, if I’m honest and certainly not worthy of a second yellow card.
73 min: Gordon wriggles down the inside left and his cross is blocked by the head of Zabarnyi. The ball loops up in the air and Kepa grabs it with his gloved paws.
72 min: Joelinton is played in behind to the byline but his pull-back is put out for a corner by some frantic last-ditch defending from Kerkez. Nothing comes of the set-piece.
70 min: Martin Dubravka is forced into a desperate save, scrambling across his goal line after David Brooks had steered an Antoine Semenyo cross from the left towards the far corner.
Updated
67 min: A Joe Willock cross aimed towards Alexander Isak on the edge of the Bournemouth six-yard box is headed away by Dean Huijsen. Isak has been starved of service today, barely getting a sniff of the ball. Newcastle need to get Anthony Gordon on it so he can take on Lewis Cook and try to provide some service for his team’s in-form striker.
64 min: There’s a break in play so a couple of players can receive treatement. Newcastle double-substitution: Joe Willock and Kieran Trippier on for Jacob Murphy and Lewis Hall.
62 min: Nothing comes of the corner Bournemouth were forced to settle for instead of a goal.
Bournemouth have a goal disallowed!
60 min: Moments after hitting the outside of the post, Dango Ouattara looks to have scored Bournemouth’s third after getting between defenders to volley home a David Brooks cross.
Sadly for him, the goal is chalked off after a VAR check because the ball went out of play for what should have been a Bournemouth corner in the build-up.
Updated
59 min: Another free-kick for Newcastle, this time wide on the left. Gordon’s low delivery is poor and fails to clear the first man, Justin Kluivert.
58 min: Gordon curls a free-kick into the Bournemouth penalty area from deep but Christie clears with another glancing header out wide.
57 min: Anthony Gordon plays a short pass to Lewis Hall in the Bournemouth box but isn’t expecting the return ball that’s quickly backheeled into his path. Or what would have been his path if he’d continued his run.
55 min: Behind on the scoreboard, Newcastle currently have the momentum on the pitch, despite repeatedly conceding cheap possession to their visitors. They’ll probably continue to assert their dominance as the game progresses, given Bournemouth’s lack of experienced options to turn to on the bench. Those out on the pitch in Bournemouth shirts will start to tire due to their relentless intensity.
Updated
53 min: Anthony Gordon takes on Illia Zabarnyi down the left and drives a low ball across the Bournemouth penalty area. It’s cleared.
52 min: Newcastle corner. Lewis Hall’s delivery is cleared out towards the touchline courtesy of a glancing header from Ryan Christie.
50 min: Gordon gives the ball away, allowing Ryan Christie to burst forward for Bournemouth. He outmuscles Lewis Hall en route to the Newcastle penalty area but eventually runs into traffic in the form of Fabian Schar, who tidies up for the hosts.
48 min: Fabian Schar makes an early impact, but it’s not the kind he was hoping for. Without looking, he passes the ball square across his own penalty area to the feet of David Brooks. Luckily for the Newcastle substitute, the Bournemouth winger shoots straight at Martin Dubravka.
47 min: Milos Kerkez curls a cross into and beyond Newcastle’s penalty area and Bournemouth win a corner. Dean Huijsen gets a firm header on the delivery to the far post but is unable to steer it goalwards.
Second half: Newcastle 1-2 Bournemouth
46 min: Play resumes with Bournemouth on the ball and one change in the Newcastle ranks. Fabian Schar is on for Sven Botman, who is still finding his feet after recovering from an ACL injury and struggled to cope with the intensity of Bournemouth’s forward players in the first half.
Half-time: Newcastle 1-2 Bournemouth
Newcastle were made to pay for a very lethargic start when Justin Kluivert linked up with Antoine Semenyo to fire Bournemouth ahead after six minutes. Bruno Guimaraes restored parity for Newcastle with a fine header at a corner, but Andoni Iraola’s side regained their lead when Bournemouth pounced on an error by Bruno Guimaraes to tee up Kluivert for his second.
It’s nicely poised in a fairly bad-tempered game at St James Park, where Bournemouth lead by the most slender of margins.
45+4 min: Kepa flings himself to his left to keep out an on-target drive from Sandro Tonali and that’s the last action of a hugely entertaining first half.
45+3 min: There’s something of a bust-up as Joelinton and Illia Zabarnyi start pushing and shoving each other after the Newcastle midfielder had fouled Justin Kluivert.Joelinton is booked, while Kluivert and Tyler Adams also have their names taken. Adams for a foul in the build-up to Joelinton’s scything challenge. I have no idea what Kluivert did to merit having his name taken.
Updated
45+2 min: Fun fact: Justin Kluivert has now scored more goals at St James’ Park than his dad, Patrick, who spent a season playing for Newcastle United.
45+1 min: Bournemouth attack on the counter at lightning speed again, pouncing on a mistake from Lewis Hall. Justin Kluivert zips forward and plays the ball inside to David Brooks, who eschews an early shooting opportunity. In the process, he affords Lewis Hall the time he needs to recover and clear up at the back for Newcastle.
GOAL! Newcastle 1-2 Bournemouth (Kluivert 44)
Bournemouth are back in front! Ryan Christie robs Bruno Guimaraes of possession as Newcastle try to play the ball out from the back. Ouattara takes the ball, advances and plays it to the feet of Justin Kluivert, who sweeps the ball past Martin Dubravka.
Updated
42 min: Kluivert gallops upfield with the ball at his feet after Ryan Christie had robbed Joelinton of possession. Bournemouth have four players sweeping forward but a promising attack breaks down when David Brooks overhits his cross from the right.
41 min: Bruno Guimaraes curls an inswinger to the far post but there’s too a little too much whip on his delivery and the ball sails wide.
40 min: Anthony Gordon tries his luck with a shot from the edge of the Bournemouth penalty area. His effort fizzes wide, taking a nick off Kerkez on its way. From the corner, Newcastle win another …
38 min: Dango Ouattara heads high over the Newcastle bar after getting underneath a good Lewis Cook cross from the right. He should have hit the target but mistimed his jump.
35 min: Stuart Attwell penalises Joelinton for some indiscretion or other halfway inside the Bournemouth half and gives him a telling-off. A less lenient, more fussy referee would have booked three or four players by now.
34 min: Tonali plays the ball wide to Murphy, who tries to link up with Guimaraes by playing the Brazilian in behind. His pass is deflected and Bournemouth regain possession.
32 min: Bournemouth win a throw-in deep in Newcastle territory as their former manager scribbles on a notepad while standing alongside his No2, Jason Tindall, on the edge of the home side’s technical area.
Kluivert squares the ball through the Newcastle penalty area but Ryan Christie’s low shot takes a nick off Tino Livramento on its way wide. The match officials don’t notice and award Newcastle a goal-kick despite Christie’s entirely valid protestations that it should be a corner for Bournemouth.
29 min: Newcastle have grown into this game after their sluggish start and Bruno’s second goal of the campaign has settled any jitters on the pitch and in the stands. We’ll have more goals in this game, I’ll happily wager, and as things stand the home side look more likely to get the next one.
27 min: Questions will be asked of Kepa in the post mortem of that goal. He got a big hand to Bruno’s header but was unable toi prevent the ball crossing the line. The Spaniard may well argue that he was unsighted and spotted the ball late as it fizzed through a thicket of bodies.
GOAL! Newcastle 1-1 Bournemouth (Guimaraes 25)
Newcastle equalise! The home side win a corner and the unmarked Bruno Guimaraes heads home Lewis Hall’s delivery from 10 yards out. Kepa got a hand to the ball but couldn’t keep it out.
Updated
25 min: Semenyo is able to carry on although he does look to have twisted his ankle.
22 min: There’s a break in play so Antoine Semenyo can receive treatment for an ankle injury. Another injury to a senior player is the last thing Bournemouth need. Their substitutes’ bench is loaded with goalkeepers, inexperienced children and the comparative veteran Daniel Jebbison, who is 21.
21 min: Joelinton shoots high over the bar from the edge of the Bournemouth penalty area after being teed up through good work from Alexander Isak and Bruno Guimaraes.
20 min: Dan Burn gives an underwhelmed Newcastle crowd something to cheer about, relieving Dango Ouattara of possession with a fine challenge that gets the Geordies out of their seats.
18 min: Tyler Adams is penalised for another foul on Bruno Guimaraes but referee Stuart Attwell keeps his yellow card in his pocket for now. Bruno is not impressed with the official’s munificence.
Updated
16 min: A man in understandable demand in the current transfer window, Bournemouth left-back Milos Kerkez picks out Antoine Semenyo with a pass down the right touchline and the Bournemouth winger wins a throw-in for his side. Nothing comes of it.
14 min: There’s a break in play so referee Stuart Attwell can give Tyler Adams a ticking-off (but no yellow card) for a robust lunge on Bruno Guimaraes. Newcastle free-kick, wide on the right. The ball is swung into the Bournemouth penalty area by Anthony Gordon and immediately headed clear.
12 min: Joelinton spreads the ball wide to Jacob Murphy on the right touchline but he’s unable to find a teammate in the Bournemouth box. The ball ends up in the hands of Kepa.
11 min: Perhaps it’s something to do with the early kick-off but it’s been an uncharacteristically sluggish start for Newcastle, who are being pulled hither and yon by the intensity of the Bournemouth press.
8 min: Tino Livramento will be disappointed with his role in Bournemouth’s goal, as he failed to track Antoine Semenyo’s run in behind him down the inside left to latch on to a perfectly weighted through ball to the byline.
7 min: Newcastle finally wake up and get forward. A Sandro Tonali pull-back from the byline fails to find anyone in a black-and-white striped shirt and Bournemouth clear their lines.
GOAL! Newcastle 0-1 Bournemouth (Kluivert 6)
Bournemouth lead! Justin Kluivert shoots a low, hard shot into the far corner after connecting with a Semenyo pull-back from the byline. That was coming!
Updated
3 min: Bournemouth have started brightly in these very early stages. Dan Burn coughs up cheap possession, the Cherries advance and Dango Ouattara brings a very smart save out of Martin Dubravka after connecting with a David Brooks dink. The follow-up shot is blasted high over the bar by Semenyo and it’s a let-off for Newcastle.
Updated
2 min: David Brooks takes the ball around Lewis Hall down by the byline and pulls a low delivery into the Newcastle penalty area. Sandro Tonali intercepts the ball and clears.
Newcastle v Bournemouth is go ...
1 min: Newcastle get the ball rolling, kicking into the Leazes End and wearing their usual home kit. Their visitors are in green shirts, shorts and socks.
Not long now: Stuart Attwell and his team of match officials lead both sets of players out for the last of the pre-match formalities with St James’ Park rocking. Between Newcastle’s lofty league position and excellent chance of making the Carabao Cup final, the mood on Tyneside is understandably giddy.
Bournemouth’s players march out on the pitch wearing T-shirts paying homage to their stricken Turkish teammate Enes Unal, who suffered a season-ending knee injury recently. The sentiment? “We’re all with you, Enes.” Good luck to him in his recovery. It’s probably worth noting that such is Bournemouth’s injury crisis, Andoni Iraola has named six teenagers with no Premier League experience on his bench.
Updated
Newcastle: While his touchline antics mean he is not everyone’s cup of tea, the club are benefitting from Jason “Mad Dog” Tindall’s odd-couple relationship with Eddie Howe and his attention to detail (and the noble art of time-wasting). Louise Taylor has the lowdown on Newcastle’s assistant coach …
Andoni Iraola: "It's a big question"
At his pre-match conference yesterday, Bournemouth’s manager was asked if he considers Newcastle to be genuine title contenders. “It’s a big question,” he said. “They are not so far from Arsenal, for example, and Arsenal definitely are title challengers.
“Probably you need to ask Eddie the question. They are playing so, so well that it makes you ask me these questions. They are beating everyone, also they’ve done it in a run of games that was not easy: they beat Arsenal, [Manchester] United and Tottenham in this period. They’ve performed better than them but I’m not brave enough to say it [that they are title contenders].”
Newcastle: Eddie Howe has refused to discount Alan Shearer’s suggestion that Newcastle have entered the title race after nine straight wins, including six in the Premier League. Words: Louis Taylor.
Alexander Isak: Newcastle’s Swedish striker has scored in their last eight top flight games and now has his sights set on the records of the only two players who have scored in more consecutive Premier League games: Rudd van Nisterlrooy (10) and Jamie Vardy (11).
Today’s match officials
Referee: Stuart Attwell.
Assistants: Constantine Hatzidakis and Natalie Aspinall.
Fourth official: Dean Whitestone.
VAR: Peter Bankes.
Assistant VAR: Stuart Burt.
Those teams: On loan goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga returns between the sticks for Bournemouth, after being forced to sit out their draw against Chelsea, his parent club, on Tuesday. On the subjkect of parents, the Spaniard and his partner recently became the welcomed twins into the world, so congratulations to all concerned.
In Bournemouth’s only other change, Justin Kluivert comes into the side in place of the injured James Hill, which means we can probably expect to see Lewis Cook deployed at full-back.
Newcastle boss Eddie Howe picks the same 11 players who started against Wolves in midweek, while Fabian Schar has overcome his illness to take his place on the bench, where Miguel Almiron is also among the substitutes for what could be his last appearance in a Newcastle matchday squad.
Although he has become a more peripheral figure for Newcastle this season, if this is goodbye for the hugely popular Paraguayan with the big, beaming smile, he’s sure to get a great send-off from the St James’ Park faithful.
Updated
Newcastle v Bournemouth line-ups
Newcastle: Dubravka; Livramento, Botman, Burn, Hall; Guimaraes, Tonali, Joelinton; Murphy, Isak, Gordon.
Subs: Odysseas, Trippier, Schar, Osula, Almiron, Kelly, Willock, Longstaff, Miley.
Bournemouth: Kepa; Cook, Zabarnyi, Huijsen, Kerkez; Christie, Adams; Brooks, Kluivert, Semenyo; Ouattara.
Subs: Travers, McKenna, Jebbison, Silcott-Duberry, Adu-Adjei, Akinmboni, Winterburn, Kinsey, Rees-Dottin
Early Newcastle team news
Newcastle goalkeeper Nick Pope remains out with a knee injury but the club can call on Martin Dubravka, who has proved a more than capable deputy, following the news that rumours of his imminent move to Saudi Arabia were greatly exaggerated.
Callum Wilson and Harvey Barnes are both sidelined with thigh injuries, while long-term absentee Jamaal Lascelles is back in training but still a long way off full fitness. Fabian Schar trained yesterday following his recovery from illness but may not be ready to feature today. Miguel Almiron is expected to be named in Newcastle’s matchday squad despite reports linking him with a £10m return to MLS side Atalanta.
“It’s not ideal,” said Eddie Howe of the prospect of losing the Paraguayan winger. “But I don’t think it would be ideal from anyone’s viewpoint. From our perspective, we don’t want to lose players but we know the reality of PSR [profit and sustainability rules] and our ongoing management of that. We are making decisions not based on football but making ones for the future.”
Early Bournemouth team news
Much was made the of the fact that Bournemouth only had 12 fit senior players to choose from for their midweek draw against Chelsea and their list of lame and halt makes for grim reading.
Their strikers Enes Unal and Evanilson are both sidelined, with the former out for the rest of the season, while Marcos Senesi, Julian Araujo, Marcus Tavernier, Adam Smith, Alex Scott, Luis Sinsterra, James Hill and Julio Soler are also unavailable.
“It’s not going to be the most difficult starting XI to guess,” said Andoni Iraola in his pre-match press conference. “We are not going to recover anyone from the other day. Half the teams in the Premier League have seven, eight or nine injuries – but in our very short squad, we suffer it more.”
Premier League: Newcastle v Bournemouth
Seeking a club record tenth consecutive win in all competitions, Newcastle host a Bournemouth side who are unbeaten in 10 and also enjoying something of a purple patch going into the game selected for today’s televised early kick-off.
Bournemouth fans already inconvenienced by the prospect of a 700-mile round-trip could probably do without the additional expense and/or hassle of either an overnight stay or an ludicrously early start but it’s no great surprise that they have been treated so shabbily by the powers that be. Twas ever thus.
A win today for Newcastle will take them third in the table above Nottingham Forest on goal difference for at least one day, while Bournemouth will overtake Manchester City and Aston Villa to go sixth, should they take all three points. Kick-off at St James’ Park is at 12.30pm (GMT) but we’ll be here in the meantime with team news and build-up.
Updated
