Newcastle held by Bournemouth as Premier League ‘draw specialists’ drop 2 points
NEWCASTLE: Newcastle United are making a name for themselves in the Premier League this season — but it is a moniker they would ideally want to avoid. Many see United not as European contenders or top six breakers, but as the top flight’s “draw specialists” after they recorded their fifth draw in their opening seven games.
For Eddie Howe, against his former club, it yet again feels like two points dropped, rather than one gained. And when you hit a cherry-red wall, you need a spark or some quality to break it down — and for Newcastle, as has been the case so often this season, they have found themselves wanting in that department yet again — that, despite the return to the side of Brazilian midfielder maestro Bruno Guimaraes.
Howe’s men fell behind in the 62nd minute when Philip Billing poked home a cross from the left against the run of play. United bit back almost instantaneously as Alexander Isak hammered home from the spot, but that proved to be the final decisive action of yet another frustrating Tyneside encounter, just a fortnight after a similarly blunt draw, and opportunity missed, against Crystal Palace.
On the selection front Howe brought Guimaraes straight back into the side in place of Sean Longstaff, with Dan Burn preferred to Sven Botman in the heart of defense. And while the Magpies dominated the opening exchanges in terms of field position and possession, it was the visitors who created the first real goalscoring opportunity of the afternoon.
On the break, as they so often were, a ball in from the United right fell kindly on to the head of the impressive Marcus Tavernier, a former Newcastle academy graduate, but with Nick Pope beaten the effort looped wide. Finding spaces in dangerous areas was not hard
.