Newcastle Take Point at Bournemouth but Attacking Concerns Linger

For Newcastle United, their trip to Bournemouth’s Vitality Stadium was as much a test of mentality as it was of stamina, coming less than three days after a draining Champions League defeat to Barcelona, Sport360NG reports.

The situation brought back memories of their 2023 campaign, when a loss to Borussia Dortmund was quickly followed by a flat performance and defeat on the south coast. This time, however, Eddie Howe’s side avoided a repeat, holding Bournemouth to a 0-0 draw.

The stalemate leaves Newcastle with mixed emotions. On the one hand, the Magpies have now recorded three consecutive away clean sheets in the Premier League. On the other, they have failed to score in each of those matches against Bournemouth, Leeds and Aston Villa.

“We’re evolving and changing as an attacking force,” Howe told Match of the Day, though he admitted afterwards that his side “didn’t get our attacking game going.”

Struggles in Front of Goal

Newcastle are still adjusting to life after Alexander Isak, who completed a British-record transfer to Liverpool on deadline day. Summer signings Yoane Wissa and Nick Woltemade are intended to fill the void, but both are works in progress.

Wissa, brought in from Brentford, is sidelined until after October’s international break with a knee problem, while Woltemade is adapting to the pace and physicality of English football following his £69m move from Stuttgart. The German striker showed flashes at Bournemouth, including some neat link-up play and a penalty shout waved away after a shirt pull, but clear chances were rare.

Despite registering 18 touches inside the box, Newcastle mustered only one effort on target, Jacob Murphy’s early strike, comfortably saved by Djordje Petrovic. Bournemouth finished the stronger and looked likelier to snatch victory late on.

“It’s not good,” Howe admitted. “You want to create clear chances.”

Defensive Resilience

If Newcastle lacked bite going forward, their defensive solidity again stood out. No Premier League team has kept more clean sheets this season (four), with only Liverpool breaching them so far.

At Bournemouth, Dan Burn was a towering presence, making 11 clearances, while Nick Pope produced key saves to deny Tyler Adams early and Justin Kluivert deep into stoppage time.

“It’s something we’ve worked hard on,” Burn said. “Most of us have played together for a long time, and that gives us a good base.”

Howe’s Rotation Policy

The draw also highlighted Howe’s willingness to rotate. He made seven changes from the Barcelona match, with Pope one of the few to keep his place. Injuries and suspension forced some decisions, Fabian Schar was out and Anthony Gordon banned, but Howe also rested leaders like Bruno Guimaraes.

Malick Thiaw made his full debut, while Lewis Hall and Lewis Miley earned their first league starts since February. Jacob Murphy and Woltemade, who combined for the winner against Wolves last week, also featured from the start.

With a packed schedule ahead, including league clashes against Nottingham Forest, Fulham, Everton, Sunderland, Aston Villa and Liverpool before the Champions League resumes, Howe knows the depth of his squad will be tested.

As Burn put it: “We’ve invested well in the summer, and we’ve got to use those players. That’s probably a lesson learned from the last Champions League run.”