Dominic Solanke scored twice and an off-colour Newcastle United suffered further injury woe as Eddie Howe’s return to Vitality Stadium ended in a 2-0 defeat, only a second win this season for AFC Bournemouth.
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How the match unfolded
Bournemouth dominated a goalless first half, with Nick Pope making four saves, and several other good opportunities for the Cherries missed.
Newcastle were hampered by the first-half exit of Miguel Almiron, who limped off to become the 12th first-team player to go on the Magpies’ long injury list for Howe.
Bournemouth finally got the goal their dominance deserved exactly on the hour, when Joe Willock inadvertently diverted the ball into the path of Solanke, who beat Pope at his near post for his first career goal against Newcastle.
Twelve minutes later Solanke got his second, bundling in the ball after a corner had been flicked on to a post by Luis Sinisterra and had not been cleared.
Sean Longstaff came close to halving the deficit five minutes later but could only curl over.
Bournemouth, through Dango Ouattara and Solanke had further chances to extend the lead but were unable to as Bournemouth enjoyed 19 shots in the match.
An end to Newcastle’s seven-match unbeaten run drops them to seventh, with 20 points. Bournemouth climb out of the bottom three to 17th, with nine points.
Key stats
- Newcastle have lost four of their 12 Premier League games this season, only one defeat fewer than they suffered across the whole of 2022/23.
- Eddie Howe has failed to win any of his three league games against former side Bournemouth, drawing two and losing one. Only against Manchester City, whom he has faced 15 times, has Howe gone longer in league football without ever winning.
- Dominic Solanke has scored six of Bournemouth’s 11 Premier League goals this season. This 55 per cent share is the highest in the competition.
- Lewis Miley, at 17 years and 194 days, is the youngest player to start a Premier League match for Newcastle (previously Adam Armstrong in December 2014 at 17y 319d) and the youngest player to start a Premier League match overall since Ben Woodburn at the age of 17 years and 175 days for Liverpool v Stoke City in April 2017.
