Bournemouth vs Newcastle Lineups, Preview, Prediction & Odds

This is one of my underrated great games this weekend – it should be a fun watch for any true Premier League football fans. Bournemouth and Newcastle are two of the 4 or 5 most physical, relentless, intense teams in the league and they both often dominate games more out of possession than in possession. Bournemouth have had a dreams start to this season after many threw their name into the hat for potential relegation after the Cherries lost 4 of last season’s starting back-5 in Kepa, Huijsen, Zabarnyi and Kerkez.  They currently sit tied 2nd in the table after wins over Tottenham, Brighton and Wolves, and their only loss came against Liverpool at Anfield, and even then Bournemouth were very good in that game and it was 2-2 until the 88th minute in that game.

Newcastle on the other hand had an incredibly rocky summer dealing with transfer rejections and the Isak saga, and that seemed to feed into some of the early season performances, particularly against Villa and Leeds which were 0-0 games. With new striker Nick Woltemade in the fold and a mostly healthy team after the international break reset, the Magpies really started their season last weekend in GW4 with a win over Wolves. Both teams will be looking to continue the momentum they have coming in to this game and to really cement themselves as forces to be reckoned with this season.

• Can Bournemouth continue their impressive start to the season?
• Will Newcastle show that this new team is ready to mount a serious top 5 charge?
• Will Kluivert and Lewis Hall get their first starts of the season?

Find out all of that and much more in our preview of Bournemouth vs Newcastle. We have a match preview, live odds, predicted lineups, team and injury news, our score prediction and more for this GW5 matchup.

Match Details:

Fixture: Bournemouth vs Newcastle

Stadium: Vitality Stadium

Date: Sunday 21st September

Kick-off: 2:00pm BST

Premier League Head-to-Head Record:

Bournemouth have actually been somewhat of a bogey team for Newcastle over their last 5 meeting. These games always provide goals and entertainment. In the midst of an incredible stretch of form last season, Bournemouth took Newcastle apart at St James Park last season in a 4-1 drubbing. This same fixture last season, was a 1-1 draw at the Vitality. Overall, Bournemouth have a clear edge over these teams last 5 meetings, with 2 wins for the Cherries and then 3 draws. Newcastle with no wins over Bournemouth in their last 5 meetings.

Bournemouth Newcastle Last 5 Premier League Results

18/01/25 - Newcastle 1-4 Bournemouth

25/08/24 - Bournemouth 1-1 Newcastle

17/02/24 - Newcastle 2-2 Bournemouth

11/11/23 - Bournemouth 2-0 Newcastle

11/02/23 - Newcastle 1-1 Bournemouth

Bournemouth Overview and Form:

Bournemouth have started the 25/26 season as well as even their most optimistic fan could have hoped for. It’s been a statement kind of beginning to the season with excellent performances against Liverpool in an loss, and then great performances in wins over Brighton, Spurs and Wolves. Semenyo looks like he has taken another jump and is ready to have a season that potentially gets him a big move. Iraola and the team can really build off of this start as they look to secure European football next season, which they came so close to doing last season but fell just short.

Bournemouth, despite losing 4 of last season’s starting back-5 have looked solid defensively and are one of the best out of possession teams in the league. Yes they conceded 4 to Liverpool, but Liverpool are one of the 4 best attacking teams in Europe and they conceded 2 goals beyond the 88th minute in that game. New CB signing Diakite was thrown in to that games days after signing and actually acquitted himself well despite the scoreline. The Cherries then kept consecutive clean sheets in wins, and they can be forgiven for conceding in a win over Brighton last weekend given 18 year old signing Veljko Milosavljevic started the game at centre-back. Kerkez replacement Truffert looks good. Bournemouth have somehow revamped their entire defence in one summer. Their scouting is up there with the best scouting teams in Europe over the past 3 seasons.

Bournemouth have scored in every game, scoring 6 in the 4 games this season. They are a great counter attacking side and Semenyo is one of the more complete forwards in the league this season so he allows them to be a threat in any game state against any team. He’s that good. The emergence of Alex Scott has helped them as an attacking unit and the return of Justin Kluivert to full fitness should improve them even further. Newcastle will have a tough task keeping Bournemouth out, especially at the Vitality.

Iraola will look to unsettle Newcastle with a taste of their own physicality and off the ball dominance and not allow Newcastle to play, and then hit them on the counter where you can hurt the likes of Burn and Schar. Bournemouth have shown they can win in a number of ways this season and nearly took points from the champions at Anfield, and this will be a tough test for Newcastle as Bournemouth look to make a push for European football.

Newcastle Overview and Form:

Newcastle carried the energy of a rough summer dominated by the Alexander Isak saga in to their early season form. Howe even spoke on how it impacted their pre-season and the early games. But that dark cloud is no longer hanging over the Magpies, with Isak having made his move to Liverpool for £125 million and Newcastle replacing him with Nick Woltemade and Yoanne Wissa.

And what better way to really start the moving on process by Woltemade scoring in his first game to give Newcastle their first win of the season last weekend against Wolves. That came after two 0-0 draws to Leeds and Villa in fairly uneventful games that felt low energy and like teams that were still in pre-season form, but then things picked up in a fierce contest against Liverpool with emotions at St James Park very high. Newcastle did themselves proud that night fighting back from 0-2 down to level it at 2-2 before conceding 100th minute goal to Rio Ngumoha. But now with a win on the board, and the club and the fanbase having moved on from Isak and the transfer window in general, it’s back to football and back to winning ways.

Newcastle are still one of the best out of possession teams in the league just as Bournemouth are. It’s going to be an incredible physical battle. Defensively they are a solid side but their transition and direct focused attacking nature as well as maybe not having a true DM, and a good but not great centre-back pairing does usually mean they concede against good teams. They will want to limit Bournemouth to 1 goal which would give them a good shot of winning.

They would have a good shot at winning if they held Bournemouth to 1 goal because of their attacking prowess. Woltemade looked excellent in his first game with good link up and hold up play, as well as great movement and a good header for his finish. Murphy, Barnes, Elanga and Gordon are great options on the wing despite Gordon being suspended for this game, and Tonali and Guimaraes are two of the best midfielders in the league and chip in with their fair share of goals, especially Tonali. Newcastle are a good attacking side that outside of breaking down low blocks, are well equipped to create chances and score goals in just about any other game state.

A lot of this game will come down to winning the physical and out of possession battle and being first to loose balls. Howe will have his team ready for that battle, and then look to create more and get ahead with their superior overall talent in midfield and attack. If they can get a lead, they’ll draw Bournemouth in and hit them on the counter where they are deadly.

Match Betting Odds:

Bournemouth: 29/20

Draw: 5/2

Newcastle: 9/5

Both Teams to Score Odds:

Yes: 4/6

No: 11/10

Player to Score Odds:

Evanilson: 13/8

Woltemade: 11/5

 

 

Lineups will be updated throughout the week in live time as and when injury and lineup news is announced.

To head back to our main predicted lineups hub, click here.

Bournemouth Predicted Lineup:

Bournemouth Predicted Lineup GW5

GK - Petrovic

RB - Hill

CB - Milosavljevic

CB - Senesi

LB - Truffert

CM - Adams

CM - Scott

AM - Kluivert

RW - Semenyo

LW - Brooks

ST - Evanilson

Bournemouth Team & Injury News:

Bournemouth’s new centre-back Diakite picked up a knock against Spurs before the international break and was not in the squad for the win against Brighton in GW4. Speaking on Friday, about Diakite and Ryan Christie’s fitness status, Iraola said  “We are definitely going to recover Ryan, he is training well without any problems. Bafode is also training, I wouldn’t say he is 100% but I would expect him to also be available”, so it seem’s both will be available and in the squad to face Newcastle. Diakite might not be risked by starting the game given how well young Milosavljevic played last weekend. Newly signed 18 year old Veljko Milosavljevic from Red Star made his Bournemouth debut in his place and had an excellent game last weekend and should start against Newcastle if Diakite is not 100%.

Clearly, in the aforementioned quote from Iraola, Ryan Christie is even more likely than Diakite to feature this weekend. Fellow midfielder Lewis Cook returned in GW4 from his lengthy spell out, with a cameo off the bench. Given how well Scott and Adams have played this season, Cook will likely be eased back in with minutes off the bench for a few more games before he gets the chance to start. He could be an option at right-back as he was last season.

Iraola, speaking on right-back Adam Smith’s injury, stated “I wouldn’t expect him back before the international break, that is going to be very difficult”. Little to parse there, and James Hill should start in his place at right-back until Smith returns, although Cook did play a lot of minutes at right-back last season.

Justin Kluivert returned from injury to make cameos off the bench in Bournemouth’s last 2 league games, and should be fit enough to start. I would assume Kluivert has enough credit in the bank to take his starting place back, but Bournemouth have been winning games against good teams with Tavernier in the lineup, so this could be a more complicated situation than we would assume for a few more weeks.

Bournemouth Players to Watch:

Hill: Will start with Smith out for multiple weeks.

Diakite: Will be available but might not be fit enough to start. Likely a game time decision.

Milosavljevic: Impressive debut last GW. Will start if Diakite cannot.

Kluivert: Did not get his first start last week. Tavernier playing in his spot while Bournemouth are in good form is not ideal but I expect Kluivert to be in the starting XI against Newcastle.

Newcastle Predicted Lineup:

Newcastle Predicted Lineup GW5

GK - Pope

RB - Livramento

CB - Thiaw

CB - Burn

LB - Hall

CM - Guimaraes

CM - Tonali

CM - Joelinton

RW - Murphy

ST - Woltemade

LW - Barnes

Newcastle Team & Injury News:

Speaking about Yoanne Wissa to the media on Friday, Eddie Howe informed us that “Of course everyone wanted Yoane to be fit. There’s nothing personally I would have done different – we did everything we did as a football club to try and look after Yoane. But it’s like with any footballer – when they go away on international duty, you’re not in control of the minutes they play, and unfortunately he got injured… We think he’ll be out until the next international break. He’s got a race on to be fit for that Brighton game. Hopefully he can make it, and then of course he’ll be such an important player for us”.

Not good news on new signing Wissa, who we probably don’t need to think about from an FPL perspective until after the next international break. What that does mean is Woltemade should start every league game between now and the international break.

Woltemade started and scored his first goal for Newcastle against Wolves last weekend. He then did not start against Barcelona on Thursday in the Champions League, which means he will start in GW5. He put in an top performance overall against Wolves and had a good cameo against Barcelona. He is Newcastle’s starting striker no questions asked.

Joelinton returned to the starting lineup in GW4 against Wolves and started against Barcelona. He will start vs Bournemouth.

Lewis-Hall should re-take his place in the starting lineup against Bournemouth, given Trippier and Livramento started in the Champions League against Barcelona on Thursday. Trippier won’t play 3 games in one week at his age. Hall is also too good to continue riding the bench for old man Trippier, he is one of the best left-backs in the league. Once again Howe’s favouritism holding his team back.

Fabian Schar suffered a head injury that seems like it will very likely keep him out of this weekends game. He suffered the injury and then continued to play, but went down minutes later dealing with the effects of the knock. Players usually miss 1 game if they enter concussion protocol. Thiaw was subbed on for him and that likely means he is who Howe will look to start on Sunday.

Sven Botman came off with what many thought was an injury against Leeds, but Botman made the matchday squad and came off the bench in the win over Wolves in GW4.

Anthony Gordon serves game number 3 of his 3 match suspension for the red card he picked up against Liverpool in GW5. He will be available to play in GW6.

Newcastle Players to Watch:

Lewis-Hall: Will start. Trippier won’t start 3 games in 7 days.

Murphy: Elanga started against Barcelona, which would mean Murphy likely starts on Sunday just based off rotation, but Murphy also delivered the assist for Gordon’s goal against Barcelona. He will definitely start.

Barnes: 1 more game of Gordon’s suspension to be served so Barnes will start.

Trippier: Will be on the bench.

Elanga: Started against Barca and had a decent game but Murphy made more impact in 25 minutes than Elanga did in 65.

Ramsey: Out until after next international break (ankle).

Wissa: Out until after the next international break.

Gordon: Serving final game of suspension.

Bournemouth vs Newcastle Preview & Predicted Score:

Bournemouth will set up in their usual 4-2-3-1. Newcastle will set up in their usual 4-3-3. I don’t expect either manager to start the game with a formation change or major tactical shift. Both teams will be confident in their principles and system.

I think this is a game that will be won by what team brings more intensity and wins second balls and duels more, because the physical midfield battle will be huge in this game and whoever can win that, can likely establish some control and possession of the game. Stopping each other’s transitions will also be a huge focus of both coaches as both teams are deadly on the counter.

Bournemouth will look to win those battles and then have Kluivert and Semenyo get as many touches and have as much influence in Newcastle’s half as possible. The more they can push Newcastle back into their own half and put them under pressure, the safer they are from Newcastle counter-attacks or Newcastle controlling the proceedings. They will look to punish a Newcastle defence that has kept 3 clean sheets so far this season but 2 of those were to relegation candidates Wolves and Leeds. Villa, the other team they kept a clean sheet against, have yet to score a single league goal in 4 games this season. So while the clean sheet record looks good on paper, it’s a little fraudulent and Bournemouth should be able to score at home.

Newcastle will also obviously look to win that same physical and midfield battle so they can establish control of possession, the tempo and overall proceedings. Newcastle will likely look to keep Bournemouth from getting on top early, and then settle in to playing their football. They will look to unleash Woltemade, Murphy and Barnes on the counter, and get them into 2 v 2’s and 3 v 3’s away from home running at that young and not incredibly talented Bournemouth defence. If Newcastle can get the first goal that will be huge and while that will invite pressure from a good Bournemouth attack, it will leave their midfield and defence vulnerable to transitions.

I see a physical, dogged battle, with lots of counter-attacks and quite a lot of chances being created. I don’t see either team keeping a clean sheet, and there is so little between these two teams on paper and both are in good form, with mostly fit squads. Hard to see either team coming out on top and taking all 3 points; a 2-2 draw feels like the direction this one is headed in.

Score Prediction: Bournemouth 2-2 Newcastle