Another clean sheet but no cutting edge - Bournemouth 0-0 Newcastle

A point on the road for Newcastle United once again, as a much-changed line-up defended well but never got going at the other end away to an in-form Bournemouth.

It's another clean sheet on the road, following shutouts at Aston Villa and Leeds, making it four from our opening five league gams. At the other end, however, we didn't create enough chances, lacked fluidity after another system change, and never really looked like scoring.

A game to forget and a match featuring the lowest xG in the Premier League so far this season, which says a lot about our display at both ends of the pitch, in many ways!

Considering the game we had in Europe just a few days ago and the number off changes, it's a decent point at a Bournemouth side who'd just won three games on the spin. We're two points off the top six and have a solid base to build on from a defensive point of view, we just need to offer more in attack after creating so little in our last two away days at Leeds and now Bournemouth.

Newcastle XI (3-4-3): Pope – Thiaw, Botman, Burn – Livramento, Tonali, Miley, Hall – Murphy, Woltemade, Willock.  Subs: Ramsdale, Trippier, Guimaraes, Joelinton, Osula, Elanga, Barnes, Krafth, Lascelles.

Howe made SEVEN changes from Thursday's Champions League defeat to Barcelona, with Schar, Trippier, Bruno, Joelinton, Elanga, Barnes and Gordon replaced by Thiaw, Botman, Hall, Miley, Murphy, Willock and Woltemade at Eddie's former club.

The changes were understandable but the set up early on looked too negative, as a 5-4-1 system saw us invite pressure early on and sit deep, leaving lone striker Woltemade isolated up top.

However, after an early Pope save to block Adams' low shot, Murphy responded minutes later with a low effort of his own, ghosting in down the right from Tonali's threaded pass before his strike was saved at the near post by Petrovic.

Bournemouth had the ball in the net just after the 15-minute mark. It was immediately ruled out, yet VAR replays showed Thiaw was inches from playing the Cherries winger onside. A tight call that fortunately went in our favour!

Midway through the first half, we'd had 33% of the ball and hadn't really imposed ourselves on the game, but our best move of the game as Woltemade and Murphy combined before a cut-back to Tonali was fired over the bar on 25 minutes.

Defensively we looked strong and settled, and we started to come into the game as the half wore on, enjoying much more of the ball and seeing a few moments of link up play between Murphy and Woltemade; who show classy touches with his back to goal once again. The fact he only managed one of those touches in the box said a lot about our first half, however.

The second 45 started with much of the same. Solid defensively, with Burn, Botman and Thiaw all winning their duels, but lacking in attack. That said, we were denied what looked like a clear penalty just after the 50-minute mark, as Diakite was not punished for pulling back Woltemade's shirt in the box.

The game was livening up, but we needed more spark in the final third and some quality to make use of Woltemade's link up play, with the big German too often starved of good service or runners around him.

Howe reacted on the hour mark by making two changes, as Elanga and Barnes replaced Murphy and Willock. The latter lacked conviction on and off the ball once again, sadly, failing to build on recent cameos on his first start of 2025/26. He looks a shadow of the player we saw burst onto the scene with a flurry of goals over lockdown.

Aside from one burst into the box from Barnes, we continued to lack ideas or cohesion in the final third and were lucky to keep 11 on the pitch as an already booked Thiaw brought down Christie. If it was a foul, it was a booking, so it was a big let off for the German and Howe, who quickly reacted by bringing on Lascelles for the final 10 minutes.

The first shot on target of a drab second half came in the 90th minute as Kluivert's free-kick was palmed away by Pope just after five minutes of added time was signalled. Needless to say, nothing else happened and that was that. Another point on the road, a strong defensive display, but one lacking in any real quality or imagination at the other end.

Next up, two games at St James' Park; Bradford in the Carabao Cup on Wednesday before Arsenal arrive on Tyneside in the Premier League a week today.

Keep the faith!