Premier League analysts have shared their forecasts for the upcoming match, favoring Newcastle to secure a victory. Following a season marked by struggles on the road but impressive performances at St James’ Park, Newcastle United is gearing up to face AFC Bournemouth this weekend, aiming to assert their dominance on their home turf.
Eddie Howe’s team hasn’t clinched three points at Tyneside since their 3-0 win against Fulham on December 16. They understand the importance of capitalizing on their recent triumph over Nottingham Forest to maintain their pursuit of European qualification. Despite Bournemouth’s comfortable win over Newcastle at the Vitality Stadium in November, Howe acknowledges the formidable challenge ahead.
Unfortunately, Callum Wilson is sidelined due to surgery for a muscle injury, while Alexander Isak and Joe Willock might not be fit in time for this match. On the bright side, Harvey Barnes and Anthony Gordon are fully fit and prepared to start. Here’s a summary of the Premier League pundits’ thoughts on Newcastle’s prospects for the weekend.
Paul Merson
“Newcastle got a really good result against Forest and I expect them to win once again this weekend,” Merson was quoted as saying by Sportskeeda. “I can see a few goals in this one, so I’m going for a 2-1 home win.”Eddie Howe and his teammates should prioritize getting into Europe. They are behind the eight ball in the hunt for a top-four finish, but they still have enough games to qualify for the UEFA Europa League or the Conference League. When Newcastle finished fourth last season, I believed it came too soon for them.
“If they had entered one of the other two tournaments, they would have felt more at ease and could have even gone all the way. They haven’t won a trophy in god knows how long and need to get their hands on some silverware soon.
Prediction: Newcastle United 2-1 Bournemouth
Chris Sutton
“Newcastle’s results have picked up a bit recently but now there is a lot of talk about their sporting director Dan Ashworth going to Manchester United,” Sutton predicted in an interview with the BBC. “Bournemouth have already beaten them once this season, and it all started after Magpies captain Kieran Trippier got into an altercation with his side’s fans.
“I just can’t go against Newcastle at home. Their manager, Eddie Howe, is also facing his former team, and he cannot afford to lose on his home turf. Anthony Gordon is fit for the Magpies and will be a threat, but Bournemouth’s form has dipped this year after a strong finish to 2023.”
Prediction: Newcastle United 2-1 Bournemouth
Harry Redknapp
“Here we go, the Eddie Howe derby!” Redknapp told the sports betting website BetVictor. “Newcastle had a tremendous win at Forest last week, and they’re starting to move back up the table. Eddie will be concerned about the number of goals his team is conceding at the moment.
“Bournemouth are currently suffering and did not perform well against Fulham last week. I wasn’t concerned about this team, but they need to start picking up points; it’s so easy to slip down the table.” I don’t see them maintaining a clean sheet, but I’m going with the home win.
“Bruno Guimaraes was fantastic at Nottingham Forest last week. When this guy is on his game, there aren’t many better players in the NBA.”
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