Newcastle United vs Bournemouth Premier League preview, team news and prediction

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Andoni Iraola is set to be in the spotlight at St James’ Park this weekend, with Saturday’s Premier League clash between Newcastle United and Bournemouth doubling as something of an audition. Bournemouth are playing their first game since confirming Iraola will leave at the end of the season, and another link to Eddie Howe’s old job is already being floated.

Iraola didn’t replace Howe directly on the south coast — Jason Tindall, Jonathan Woodgate, Scott Parker and Gary O’Neil all came and went in between — but the Spaniard is once again being tipped as a possible successor should Newcastle decide to make a change.

That may yet prove premature, but the pressure on Howe has rarely felt heavier. Newcastle’s habit of letting points slip surfaced again at Selhurst Park last Saturday, where Jean-Philippe Mateta’s two late goals turned a 1-0 deficit into a 2-1 Crystal Palace win, handing the Magpies a third straight defeat in all competitions.

With four losses in their last six Premier League matches, Newcastle have slid to 14th, and their collapses after taking the lead have become a worrying theme: they have now lost seven league games this season despite scoring first which is a Premier League record.

Results at St James’ Park have also dipped, with six home league defeats marking Howe’s worst such return in a single campaign. Goals have at least been on the menu: both teams have scored in Newcastle’s last seven home matches across all competitions.

Iraola, meanwhile, may still have his best Bournemouth moment ahead of him, but his spell has already delivered milestones. He has guided the Cherries to their longest-ever unbeaten Premier League run and oversaw another statement win over Arsenal, and the 43-year-old has judged now the right time to move on.

Who comes for Iraola next remains unclear, but he is unlikely to lack options — with Newcastle, Manchester United, Liverpool, Athletic Bilbao and even Real Madrid all cited as potential destinations.

For the moment, his focus is on Bournemouth’s form, which has been impressive. Last weekend’s deserved 2-1 win over a below-par Arsenal extended their unbeaten league run to a club-record 12 matches, including six straight away from home. They have conceded only three goals in those six road games, and while still in the bottom half, they sit just three points behind sixth-placed Chelsea as the European race tightens.

Newcastle did edge Bournemouth on penalties in January’s FA Cup meeting, but league history strongly favours the visitors: the Magpies are winless in their last seven Premier League games against the Cherries, who have also scored in every top-flight visit to St James’ Park.

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Mateta’s 10th goal of the season won it for Palace last weekend, but Newcastle also saw Joelinton pick up his 10th booking, earning a two-match suspension.

He joins Emil Krafth (knee) and Fabian Schar (ankle) on the sidelines, though Eddie Howe has not ruled out Bruno Guimaraes returning after illness and injury. Jacob Ramsey, Joe Willock or Nick Woltemade could fill in for Joelinton, while William Osula may keep his place up front.

Bournemouth travel north with no new issues from the Arsenal win and could have Julio Soler back from a thigh problem. Lewis Cook remains out with a similar injury, Justin Kluivert is still recovering from a knee issue, and Tyler Adams is back after a thigh complaint. Iraola may stick with Ryan Christie and Alex Scott in midfield.

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