Sabasports Match Preview
Premier League: Newcastle United vs Bournemouth
Kickoff Time: 2025-01-18 20:30 (HKT)
Source:REUTERS/Lee Smith
Newcastle United is currently in strong form, having achieved nine consecutive victories across multiple competitions, including wins against traditional powerhouses like Manchester United, Tottenham Hotspur, and Arsenal, which is quite convincing. At present, Newcastle United has risen to fourth place in the league, just five points behind second-placed Arsenal, making them a strong contender for the Premier League runner-up this season. The excellent performance of their attacking line is the main driving force behind the Magpies’ success, especially forward Alexander Isak, who has scored in eight consecutive league matches. This season, Isak has played 19 Premier League matches for Newcastle United, scoring 15 goals and providing five assists, contributing to 54% of the team’s league goals. Besides Isak, wingers Anthony Gordon and Jacob Murphy have also been in stable form, with the former scoring six goals and providing four assists in the league, and the latter scoring three goals and providing six assists. In attack, Gordon and Murphy contribute not only through crosses and dribbles but also through back-passing and long through balls to the front, showcasing a variety of offensive strategies that often make it difficult for opponents to defend. Defensively, Newcastle United is also a major highlight, with an average of only 1.1 goals conceded per match, indicating the solidity of their defense. Experienced defenders like Dan Burn and Lewis Hall often resolve opponents’ threatening attacks through accurate anticipation and timely positioning.
Bournemouth has been the surprise team of the league, achieving an impressive record of five wins and four draws in their last nine matches. However, they have recently faced a concentrated outbreak of injury problems. The team heavily relied on a few forwards, but now they are all sidelined, particularly center forward Evanilson and Enes Unal, which has affected their ability to control the ball in the attacking front, leaving them unable to easily secure possession in the midfield. In addition to the forward line being depleted, players like attacking midfielder Marcus Tavernier, center-back Marcos Senesi, and right-back Adam Smith are also on the injury list, each having made over 10 league starts. This indicates that the core lineup of the team has basically fallen apart. For instance, in the last match, Bournemouth’s starting lineup featured as many as five U23 players, while the bench included up to seven U21 youngsters. Due to the lack of reliable players on the bench, the team only made two substitutions in the last match. Considering they are in a busy schedule with midweek fixtures, the physical shortcomings of Bournemouth’s players are predictable.
The tactical essence of Newcastle United lies in their quick transitions in attack, adept at converting opponents’ defensive mistakes into goals. Bournemouth’s tactical strength is high pressing and aggressive defense; however, if the players are not in good physical condition, the quality of their defense will decline sharply. Facing a Bournemouth side riddled with injuries, it is believed that Newcastle United will not miss the opportunity to secure all three points.
Newcastle United’s Last 5 Games: WWWWW
25-01-16 Newcastle United 3-0 Wolves
25-01-12 Newcastle United 3-1 Bromley
25-01-08 Arsenal 0-2 Newcastle United
25-01-04 Tottenham Hotspur 1-2 Newcastle United
24-12-31 Manchester United 0-2 Newcastle United
Bournemouth’s Last 5 Games: DWWDD
25-01-15 Chelsea 2-2 Bournemouth
25-01-11 Bournemouth 5-1 West Bromwich Albion
25-01-04 Bournemouth 1-0 Everton
24-12-29 Fulham 2-2 Bournemouth
24-12-26 Bournemouth 0-0 Crstal Palace
Head To Head Record:
24-08-25 Bournmeouth 1-1 Newcastle United
24-02-17 Newcastle United 2-2 Bournemouth
23-11-12 Bournemouth 2-0 Newcastle United
23-02-12 Bournemouth 1-1 Newcastle United
22-12-21 Newcastle United 1-0 Bournemouth
Prediction: Newcastle United to win