Premier League: Bournemouth and Newcastle end match in a 1-1 stalemate (Tavernier 37, Gordon 76)
The journey was not in vain for Eddie Howe, whose team found themselves on the backfoot for a significant part of the game but secured a crucial point. Newcastle was on the brink of experiencing their inaugural loss of the season at their gaffer’s erstwhile club following Marcus Tavernier’s initial score in the first-half, but a late resurgence saw Anthony Gordon level the playing field, resulting in a 1-1 draw.
The daunting task of an away game in the Premier League, which involved a round trip exceeding a thousand kilometres for Newcastle supporters journeying south by automobile and bus, proved to be a stiff challenge for Howe and his squad. Last season, Newcastle managed to secure a solitary point against Bournemouth, succumbing to a 2-0 loss at the Vitality Stadium last November, which was a time when their rivals began to find their stride under Andoni Iraola.
Bournemouth’s goals in that match were credited to Dominic Solanke, whose move to Tottenham has arguably left Iraola facing the most arduous task of his English tenure. Taking over Solanke’s role in attack was Evanilson, who made his first appearance for the club and was one of five alterations to the team that managed to salvage a point against Nottingham Forest the previous week. Eddie Howe proceeded with just two changes, introducing Emil Krafth as a substitute for the benched Fabian Schär, while Lloyd Kelly earned his first assignment since his transfer from Bournemouth earlier in the year.
From the start, Evanilson shaped the pace of the game, singlehandedly putting Krafth on the backfoot. Despite Newcastle dominating the ball possession, Bournemouth held their ground with their tireless high pressing tactic, effectively halting their adversary’s offensive manoeuvres. Alexander Isak exploited the right flank to set up an opportunity for Gordon, but his aimed header was deflected off the goal post. Other than this, the visiting team struggled to capitalise in the final third.
Newcastle’s first major jolt came from Evanilson, after a stellar pass from Ryan Christie led him to challenge Nick Pope at a tight angle, prompting a brilliant save. Antoine Semenyo further amped the excitement with a speculative distance shot that collided with the crossbar.
Semenyo shone as he consistently infiltrated Newcastle’s defence, skilfully slipstreaming between defenders and dodging their advances with finesse. Naturally, it was Semenyo who set the stage for the inaugural goal after stealing possession from Joelinton in the centre of the field, slipping past Kelly and Dan Burn and craftily dropping the ball into the centre of the penalty area, where Tavernier was positioned for an easy goal. This swift transition from possession recovery to scoring a goal was pure Iraola, with less than 10 seconds elapsing. With Newcastle reduced to a singular shot on goal by the end of the first half – as Iraola zealously applauded every tackle and interception from the touchline – Bournemouth executed their strategy flawlessly.
After the interval, Newcastle gamely tried to retaliate, but continued to struggle for a straightforward goal opportunity. On the other hand, Bournemouth consistently appeared threatening when they charged forwards, with Justin Kluivert setting Semenyo up only for Burn to intervene at the last moment before Evanilson forced another save from Pope.
In a bid to revitalise his front line, Howe opted for a double substitution, replacing Tino Livramento and Jacob Murphy with Kieran Trippier and Harvey Barnes. Bournemouth continued to look the favourites to score again, with Semenyo charging ahead and swerving a pass to the far post where Evanilson could only steer wide.
Barnes began to assert his presence for Newcastle, striking wide after receiving a pass from Isak on the left flank. Marcos Senesi performed a dramatic clearance on the goalline following a mêlée in the box before Barnes served Joelinton with a cross, only for Neto to respond with a split-second save. After 76 minutes, Newcastle finally broke through with Barnes carving out another opportunity on the left, launching another cross to the far post where, unlike Evanilson, Gordon successfully directed the ball into the net.
Towards the end, the game descended into chaos as both teams abandoned their structures in pursuit of the winning goal. Substitute Alex Scott nearly regained the lead for Bournemouth with a thunderbolt shot from outside the penalty area, while Semenyo narrowly missed the mark. On the other end, Bruno Guimarães forced a save from Neto with a curling attempt at goal.
Bournemouth was under the impression they had clinched victory when Dango Ouattara, a replacement player, leapt higher than his peers to steer the ball into the net at a corner. However, after an extensive inspection from the VAR, the goal was disqualified due to a handball. Iraola expressed considerable displeasure, indicating the ball had brushed Ouattara’s shoulder, yet his invitations to visit the monitor held no sway over the referee, David Coote. Consequently, Newcastle embarked on their extensive trip back home somewhat rewarded for the exertion they put into the game. – Guardian