Bournemouth vs Newcastle Preview

• Draw
• Evanilson to score

Bournemouth’s Positive Start and Record Signing

Bournemouth kicked off their Premier League campaign with a hard-fought 1-1 draw, salvaged by a late equaliser on the opening day.

The Cherries have since been bolstered by the club-record signing of Brazilian striker Evanilson for £40.2 million, a move that has quickly filled the void left by Dominic Solanke’s departure.

Fans are optimistic that this significant addition will help Bournemouth maintain their momentum as they aim to extend their unbeaten league head-to-head (H2H) streak against Newcastle United to five games (W1, D3).

Returning to the Vitality Stadium should provide a further boost for Andoni Iraola’s side, especially considering their solid record in home openers. Bournemouth has not lost any of their last four opening home Premier League games (W2, D2).

Interestingly, each of Bournemouth’s last five home campaign openers in the top flight has produced exactly two goals, while their last two home H2Hs with Newcastle ended in 1-1 and 2-0 results (W1, D1).

Newcastle’s Challenges and Expectations

Newcastle United’s transfer window has been relatively quiet, though they still hope to make some last-minute additions before the window closes. Despite off-field frustrations, Eddie Howe’s team started their league campaign with a gritty 1-0 victory over Southampton.

The win was impressive given that they played much of the match with ten men following Fabian Schär’s controversial red card, which leaves Newcastle defensively stretched for this clash.

Newcastle’s travelling supporters might be concerned by the team’s recent history in opening Premier League away matches, where they have failed to win or even score in any of their last three season openers on the road (D1, L2).

While Newcastle is favoured to win this match, it’s worth noting that they won only 36% of their away league games as pre-match favourites during the 2023/24 season (W4, D2, L5), suggesting they could be vulnerable in this encounter.

Key Players to Watch

Evanilson (Bournemouth): The Brazilian striker, who scored 25 goals for Porto last season, is set to make his Bournemouth debut in this match. Remarkably, only one of his goalscoring appearances last season ended in defeat (W15, D3), making him a key player to watch as he looks to make an immediate impact for the Cherries.

Anthony Gordon (Newcastle United): Gordon will be eager to find the back of the net against Bournemouth for the second consecutive season, having scored in last season’s H2H encounter.

His goal was one of six opening strikes he netted for Newcastle during the 2023/24 season, highlighting his ability to make crucial contributions early in matches.

Conclusion

As Bournemouth and Newcastle United prepare to clash at the Vitality Stadium, both teams have reasons for optimism and concern.

Bournemouth will look to capitalise on their strong home record and the boost from their new signing, Evanilson, while Newcastle will aim to overcome their early season away struggles and maintain their winning momentum.

With key players like Evanilson and Anthony Gordon ready to make their mark, this match promises to be a closely contested battle as both sides seek to secure valuable points early in the Premier League season.

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Bournemouth v Newcastle, 2024/25 | Premier League