Newcastle ‘evolving’ – but must add goals to clean sheets

It sounded more like a mental test than a physical one.

How would Newcastle United handle the trip to Bournemouth’s Vitality Stadium after losing to Barcelona 2-1?

Newcastle’s previous Champions League appearance in 2023 was undoubtedly a strain due to the difficulty of navigating such challenges.

Indeed, a drained, injury-hitting side was defeated by Bournemouth a few days after losing to Borussia Dortmund.

After a few years, Newcastle had a point and left the south coast.

However, this goalless draw created an unusual quandary.

On the one hand, the tenacious Newcastle have now kept three clean sheets on the road this year in the Premier League.

The blunt black-and-whites, however, haven’t scored in any of those games against Bournemouth, Leeds United, or Aston Villa.

It’s reasonable to say that.

Alexander Isak missed the opening two weeks of the campaign, but he did not complete his record-keeping move to Liverpool until the deadline, and Yoane Wissa and Nick Woltemade will need time to step in to fill the void.

Although Wissa has a proven Premier League career, the former Brentford forward won’t be out until after the next international break in October, while Woltemade, who signed for $69 million from Stuttgart, is adapting to the physicality of the top flight.

Woltemade hit the jackpot on his debut against Wolves, but it was soon apparent behind the scenes that the German would need to adjust accordingly.

Woltemade’s neat link-up play against Bournemouth was briefly caught on camera, and at one point Marcos Senesi wriggled away from the left to see Petrovic easily claim his cross.

After Bafode Diakite pulled his shirt, Woltemade also received a waved penalty appeal in the second half.

However, Newcastle struggled to fire as an attacking force this afternoon.

Even though Newcastle had more touches inside the opposition box than Bournemouth (16), Djordje Petrovic only managed one save in the closing stages when he prevented Jacob Murphy’s close-range shot.

When both teams made double substitutions in the second half, including Howe and Harvey Barnes, the game was finely poised, but Bournemouth were late on pressing for a winner.

When Howe reflected on how his team didn’t have a shot in the second half, he was the first to realize Newcastle “didn’t get our attacking game going.”

Yet Howe will at least find encouragement in keeping a Premier League clean sheet.

No other top-flight team has allowed more shutouts this year than Newcastle (4).

In fact, only Liverpool’s inaugural league goals against Newcastle came in the first few weeks of the campaign.

In the process, Newcastle have given Bournemouth the lead in the top-flight in 2025-26, limiting them to a few shots on target on Sunday.

Only center-back Dan Burn, who made 11 clearances, could measure the visitors’ defensive effort.

The towering defender told Sky Sports, “It’s something we have worked very hard on.” We have a strong team there because the majority of our players have played together for a while. On that something should be built.”

In the opening and closing minutes of the game, Nick Pope was present when Newcastle lacked a goalkeeper in order to step up.

In stoppage time, Pope parried Justin Kluivert’s well-hit free-kick in stoppage time and kept out Tyler Adams’ effort with his foot.

Howe made seven changes in Newcastle’s midweek defeat to Barcelona, making Pope one of the few survivors.

Given the intensity and relentlessness of Bournemouth play with, Howe has historically not cut and changed much. However, the Newcastle head coach recognized he needed to freshen up his side.

Although Fabian Schar was sidelined after receiving a head blow, and Anthony Gordon was banned, a few of those adjustments were made, Howe took the unusual step of rotating key players, such as captain Bruno Guimaraes, as well.

Malick Thiaw made his full debut. Joe Willock and Sven Botman rejoined the team. Lewis Miley and Lewis Hall both made their first league starts since February.

From the beginning, Woltemade and Jacob Murphy lined up, who connected for what turned out to be a crucial goal against Wolves last week.

It sounded like a sign of the future.

Before the Champions League season’s final game in January, pre-European fixtures include matches against Liverpool, Fulham, Brentford, Everton, bitter rivals Sunderland, Aston Villa, and Liverpool.

And Burn is going to need the entire squad, which he already knows very well.