Newly promoted Bournemouth will welcome Newcastle United before the upcoming international games in what could be a big game in terms of not just three points but also the momentum and confidence aspect going into the break. The Cherries have been hot and cold in the league, in the sort of form you’d expect a newly promoted side to be in, at this stage of the season, still getting to grips with the level of competition involved in the division. They’ve not managed to win a single game in the last 5 fixtures, a wretched run that includes 4 losses and a draw, so a win at home against an equally struggling Newcastle United can do a world of good for Eddie Howe and co.
Newcastle United are just consistently inconsistent in the fact that you’d never know which Newcastle would turn up on a given day. Could it be the one against Norwich where they smashed the Canaries for a six or could it be the one that capitulated in the derby against Sunderland? Steve McLaren needs to reorganise his side now ahead of the visit to Bournemouth and they make the trip on the back of a stalemate at home to Stoke City. The Magpies now need to build on that solid performance and go one step ahead when they face Bournemouth and get the win to leapfrog Saturday’s opposition on the league table.
Team News
Eddie Howe has a raft of injuries to deal with at Bournemouth at this moment in time. While Boruc (calf) and Cook (hip) could make a return to the squad for the game against Newcastle, the Cherries will be without striker Callum Wilson (ACL), Mings (knee) and Gradel (ACL)Â for the rest of the season.
Newcastle United have an injury crisis at the moment. Steve McLaren could be boosted by the potential return of key full-back Daryl Janmaat ahead of the fixture. Although, they will be still be without several vital players in Colback (knee), Krul (ACL), Haidara and Obertan.
Interesting Numbers
- AFC Bournemouth and Newcastle United have only ever met six times in all competitions, with two wins apiece and two draws.
- Newcastle have won none and lost 10 of their last 12 Barclays Premier League away matches, scoring three goals in that run.
- The Cherries have scored two thirds of their goals netted in the opening half an hour of matches (eight out of 12), the highest proportion in the top flight.
- Newcastle have scored five headed goals from just six headers on target in the BPL this term.
Key Men Comparison
Matt Ritchie (AFC Bournemouth) v Aleksander Mitrovic (Newcastle United)
Of players currently playing in the BPL, only Cesc Fabregas (19) has more assists in the top four tiers of English football than Matt Ritchie (18) since the start of 2014/15. Such has been Ritchie’s impact on Bournemouth, the winger has created 11 chances in 11 appearances, scoring twice already. The Cherries have found it tough to score goals in the league and a strong performance from Ritchie can be vitally important for the home side to claim all 3 points.
Mitrovic has had a good start in the league, scoring twice, getting stuck in when the team needs him to. Known for his robustness up top, he can do a job for Newcastle holding the ball up, bringing the more creative players in Perez and Wijnaldum to play. Comfortable in the air, he can be a threat to the Bournemouth back four provided he gets proper service from the wide men.
Betting Preview
If you fancy Howe’s side, you can place a bet here on Betfair priced at 23/20.
Or an away win here at 9/4 on Bet365 while you can put your money on a draw if that’s your thing here, priced at 13/5 on SportingBet.
Prediction
Could be a strange prediction again but I do think Steve McLaren’s men can come away with a win here.
AFC Bournemouth 1-2 Newcastle UnitedÂ
