Newcastle 1-4 Bournemouth
by Roger Domeneghetti 
at St James' Park 

SOMETHING had to give. In the end, the team on a 10-game unbeaten run proved too much for a team on a nine-game winning streak.

Bournemouth executed the perfect plan, and it was simple. Despite limping into St James’ with only 11 fit senior players, they beat Newcastle at their own game.

They were fast, aggressive. Their work with and without the ball exemplary. Tyler Adams gave no quarter, bossing the midfield.

Central defenders, Dean Huijsen and Illya Zabarnyi rendered Alexander Isak, one of the most in-form strikers in Europe, a peripheral figure.

But this was not smash-and-grab raid. Hattrick man Patrick Kluivert might take the plaudits, but this was a more-than-well-deserved win from a team playing enterprising, creative football.

Of course, it helped that Newcastle simply didn’t turn up. They were lethargic and leggy, mentally and physically tired after three games in six days, this one less than 72 hours after their last. Passes went astray, possession was conceded cheaply. They were constantly second best in 50-50 challenges.

“Bournemouth were better than us today,” said Eddie Howe. “We didn’t underestimate them at all, we just didn’t deal with them.

They never allowed us to find our rhythm. I think we were off in every department. We looked devoid of energy. We were fatigued and never recovered from a poor start.”

The template of the game was set after just six minutes when Jacob Murphy switched off, affording Kluivert the space to sweep home Antoine Semenyo’s reverse pass.

Bruno Guimaraes grabbed an equaliser after 25 minutes, heading home Lewis Hall’s corner. It was a captain’s goal; heavy with implication: “Lads, we must do better.”

Yet, just before half time, the Brazilian was himself at fault, allowing Ryan Christie to rob the ball. Dango Ouattara then played in Kluivert for his second.

It was very much against the run of play. Bournemouth were utterly dominant, hitting the woodwork, forcing Martin Dubravka into a desperate goal-line save and having a goal disallowed. Somehow, at 90 minutes, it was still only 2-1. Seven minutes of added time gave Newcastle the faint hope they might salvage a point. Instead, like a punch-drunk boxer, they succumbed to a double knock-out blow. Kluivert for his hattrick, Milos Kerkez the fourth.

“I’m very proud of my players because the performance had been very, very good,” said Andoni Iraola. “I think we deserved to win today; it was a very complete display.”