Newcastle United suffered their first loss of 2025 as AFC Bournemouth overwhelmed them 4-1 at St James’ Park this afternoon.
The Cherries’ dominant victory means Eddie Howe’s side could slip out of the Premier League’s top four depending on other results, ending their nine-match winning streak.
Bournemouth were 2-0 up at halftime, courtesy of two goals from Justin Kluivert, and he completed his hat-trick late in the game. Milos Kerkez added a fourth to seal an impressive win for the visitors.
Several Newcastle players underperformed, most notably Alexander Isak, who had a rare off day.
Isak’s performance in numbers vs Bournemouth
Before today’s match, the Swedish striker had scored in eight consecutive Premier League games, including goals against top clubs like Manchester United, Tottenham Hotspur, and Liverpool.
Isak played the full 90 minutes but failed to register a single shot, either on or off target, during the game.
Key statistics from Newcastle vs Bournemouth:
Highest-ranked player in accurate passes: Sandro Tonali (41)
Highest-ranked player in key passes: David Brooks (4)
Highest-ranked player in ground duels won: Ryan Christie (12)
Highest-ranked player in tackles: Ryan Christie (9)
Players with the most shots on target: Justin Kluivert and David Brooks (3)
Via Sofascore
Isak made just 18 passes and won only 3 of his 7 ground duels, while losing possession 11 times, marking a rare underwhelming performance from the former Real Sociedad forward.
Though not every player can perform at their best every match, Howe would have expected a more vibrant display.
It wasn’t just Isak who struggled—right-back Valentino Livramento also had a tough time handling Bournemouth’s attacking threats.
Livramento’s struggles against Bournemouth
Livramento played the full 90 minutes, shifting from the right to the left after Lewis Hall was substituted. He made 54 touches during the match, but was beaten three times in dribbles, made two tackles, won just one aerial duel, and lost possession 11 times.
He also struggled going forward, delivering three inaccurate crosses, completing just one dribble, and failing to register a key pass or create a significant chance.
Given his performance, Howe will likely consider dropping Livramento for the next match against Southampton.
Could Kieran Trippier return to the starting lineup? Trippier, who has played only 16 matches this season, could replace Livramento given his experience and solid form. The 34-year-old has completed 50% of his dribbles, maintained an 86% pass success rate, and averaged 2.3 ball recoveries per game.
After this heavy defeat, Howe will likely make changes for the Southampton game, with Livramento possibly relegated to the bench.
Worse than Isak: Howe must ditch 54-touch Newcastle dud who lost possession 11x
