AFC Bournemouth hosted Newcastle United on Saturday evening, desperate to build on the three points earned at the last home game against Burnley.
This of course however was going to be a hard task, Newcastle, UEFA Champions League side managed by AFC Bournemouth legend Eddie Howe with his entire entourage of former AFC Bournemouth players and coaches as part of his backroom team.
But, for once this season, an element of luck was on the Cherries side. Newcastle have been swamped by injuries and a heavy fixture schedule. Former AFC Bournemouth top scorer Callum Wilson was the main omission from the squad, although Matt Ritchie was named on the bench.
Ritchie would be soon thrown into the mix when yet another injury struck during the game.
The mainstream media focussed on this a lot in the aftermath of this game, which keeps AFC Bournemouth’s immense performance under the radar.
Have no doubt, this was a superb performance from the Cherries, a dominant, front foot, high pressing, energetic, lung-busting performance from the home side.
A late injury in training to Philip Billing caused a late switch, a switch that may well have stumbled on the key to the victory.
Justin Kluivert came into the side floating around in the number 10 role, pushing up alongside Dominic Solanke at times, drifting out to either wing. Doubling up with Marcus Tavernier down the left or Antoine Semenyo down the right. Sometimes Semenyo would drift inside and Kluivert would double up with Max Aarons.
He was part of the high press and this turned us into a different animal during the opening phase of the game. Obviously, this caught Newcastle by surprise, how can you plan for something you’ve never seen the opposition do before? And Eddie may well have suppressed him with a few tweaks at half time, but later Luis Sinisterra also enjoyed his best game in a Cherries shirt in a central role.
AFC Bournemouth head coach Andoni Iraola told Sky Sports after the match…
“I’m obviously happy because we needed these three points but even happier with the performance. The players deserve it. We kept pushing and we deserved it.
“It was key for us to make them feel like it won’t be an easy game for them and make them feel uncomfortable under pressure. They play quite open and in transitional games, but that is a style that suits us.
“I think the substitutes gave us this energy and we had spaces for the counter-attack. It was becoming dangerous. We had chances to close the game – score a third one and finish it – but luckily we kept our clean sheet and could win the game.
“Dominic Solanke has been very good for us since the beginning of the season. He not only gives us goals, he gives us a lot of work, he is always a threat in the space and is good covering the ball. He is a pleasure to have in the team.”
Man of the match against Newcastle UnitedSolanke
Cook
Neto
Christie
Tavernier
Aarons
Semenyo
Someone else
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Who doesn't love playing under the lights? 🤩 pic.twitter.com/JswJff53KP
— AFC Bournemouth 🍒 (@afcbournemouth) November 11, 2023
AFCB_Liam
Incredible performance. I had forgotten what it’s like to watch such an utterly dominant performance of attacking intent from start to finish. At times it was like the ‘red arrows’ from the championship-winning season just not quite as clinical.
Defence were solid. We have to keep Kelly until the summer as he’s just so solid. Locked down any threat from their right.
Christie was immense. We all know he has the work rate, but what I saw differently today were the driving runs from deep with the ball and the accuracy in his passing. And dare I say it even his shooting (a bit). With Semenyo and Dom running at them too we looked so dangerous. Dom showed once again what he’s all about – instinctive finishes, tireless work rate, and constant giving their defence a headache. His backheel set up for Semenyo was also immense.
Cook looks to have gained half a yard of pace and was excellent. Nobody played badly though. Good cameo for Sinistera and Dango is a great bench option when defences tire.
Most pleasing of all is you can now see the system in full effect. 3 of the 4 goals in our last 2 home games have come directly from winning the ball back in their half (Semenyo, Billing and Dom goals) and they’re all bought in to it. As MOTD showed, the long balls down the line or diagonal to the attackers is also working a treat and is what we were promised from AI. We have the perfect players with Dom and Semenyo to make those passes work. This system will work against a lot of sides in the league who aren’t defensively strong enough to cope with direct running or controlled enough to pass out through the press.
Fans sounded great and you could see the whole team had an extra spring in their step.
The only caveat is that Newcastle really were poor (thanks Eddie!). Yes, they have injuries but I thought their overall work rate and basic control and passing were pretty abysmal. I’m gonna stick with the ‘we made them look bad’ angle for now though.
Nothing against Gary O’Neil, and good luck to him, but today was better than any performance I watched in the PL under either him or Scott Parker. Exciting football like that has been sorely missed at Dean Court!
"We've always believed"
Dominic Solanke after scoring second-half double against Newcastle! 🍒 pic.twitter.com/vJyVrap6kB
— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) November 11, 2023
BilbaoCherry
Let’s go Cherries!! This is the performance the team needed to BELIEVE.
Hopefully, we can get a player or two back during the break.
A win vs Sheffield would have us looking up the table rather than down.
Great win at home! +3 pic.twitter.com/tMjrjGa4os
— Justin Dean Kluivert (@justinkluivert) November 11, 2023
Neil Dawson
I’d forgotten what it felt like to have the stadium and the team in seamless unity. Too often it’s been one without the other in the years since Eddie left, and probably in his last couple years as well.
Marvelous energy, the high press worked, everyone snapped into challenges the minute their man got the ball and a complete emphasis on getting forward. What we’d been waiting to see from our new regime.
Newcastle are blighted with injuries but we were also missing our entire first-choice midfield and playing two wide players in central midfield.
Special mentions from me for Lewis Cook’s control, Christie’s lung-bursting work, and the two Centre Back’s having their best games but MOM to Solanke for matching the workrate of others and scoring twice.
Nobody had a poor game really. The question is how can we push on from this and gain confidence before Christmas? Should be very possible if we keep that level of intensity. Great to feel that way leaving a stadium. – To join the conversation, click here.
An incredible achievement đź‘Ź
Adam Smith comes on for his 350th appearance for AFC Bournemouth. pic.twitter.com/3VrLV8tX7a
— AFC Bournemouth 🍒 (@afcbournemouth) November 11, 2023
