The Magpies seven game unbeaten run came to an end at the Vitality stadium as Bournemouth overran a muted and quite frankly exhausted looking team in green on Saturday evening.
While Bournemouth’s squad benefitted from seven days at home Newcastle Utd’s players have had almost a week on the road, with little time to recharge their batteries between games.
That is the reality that top teams must endure and while normally we view international breaks as an irritation, this particular break cannot have come at a better time for Howe and his squad of honest players.
 
Back to the game, and with 12 first team players unavailable due to a combination of injury and suspension Howe had few options for his starting eleven, although how they set up was very much in his own hands.
Lewis Miley was brought into the central midfield berth vacated by Bruno Guimarães suspension, while Joelinton was moved into a more advanced role to support Anthony Gordon with Joe Willock slotted into the left sided midfield engine room role for only his third start of the season. Lewis Hall was preferred to the option of Tino Livramento or Paul Dummett for the left back slot.
Youngsters Amadou Diallo, Ben Parkinson and Alex Murphy were named on the bench.
 
And it was Bournemouth who got off to a more positive start as they set about their business on the front foot, creating chances and looking the livelier of the two teams with Solanki and Christie looking sharp.
 
After 30 minutes Almiron took a heavy knock and was replaced by Matt Ritchie not long after Howe made a tactical change, moving Joelinton into a more central attacking role, with a jaded looking Anthony Gordon pushed into a wide berth and as the half time whistle came it was Nick Pope who had been the busier of the two keepers.
 
Another change for Newcastle came at the start of the second half with Hall replaced by Livramento and while they huffed and puffed their way through the first fifteen minutes, it was Bournemouth who broke the deadlock through a Solanki turn and shot after being gifted the ball by Willock.
 
On 66 minutes Miley was replaced by Parkinson but just six minutes later Solanki got his second, tapping in after Sinisterra's effort came back off the post.
 
Newcastle continued to huff and puff while Bournemouth wasted a series of chances to put the game to bed and that was down to the efforts of Nick Pope who was called upon time and again to keep his team in the game and by the final whistle had faced 18 clear cut chances from a stuttering Bournemouth who weren’t wearing their shooting boots.
 
In contrast Newcastle managed only two shots on target in 90 minutes. 
For Bournemouth the win brought a much-deserved three points; lifting them out of the relegation zone.
 
Speaking immediately after the game Eddie Howe said: "We were short today in and out of possession. It wasn't our finest moment, and we must accept it. Early on in the game, we weren't where we wanted to be physically, so we had to adapt. We weren't ourselves today. We were frustrated with our performance throughout the game and the goals compound that in the second period when we were trying to dig out a result an found ourselves under pressure."
 
"It was just a game too far and we couldn't respond. Bournemouth played well but we were well below par. It was a tough afternoon. We weren't ourselves in possession or out of possession. If you can't do that at this level, it will be a difficult day. When we are under fatigue and stretched, we usually respond better. We need to dust ourselves down and come back in strong”.
 
“Nick Pope made some great saves for us, and he needed to as we were leaking chances. Jamaal Lascelles did great in the air too, but I don’t think there were too many bright sparks. We were well off it.
 
Howe also spoke of the injury situation and the impact on his squad as a whole, saying: "We have a whole host of players, and we need them back as soon as we can. We have a busy December as well so it's not a good mix but something we have to get used to.
 
"The break has come at a good time for us, but I don't necessarily think it will bring a flood of players back. We have long-term injured players. Hopefully we can get one or two back, while Bruno (Guimaraes) was suspended at a bad time.
 
"We didn't have the options on the bench to change things and Miggy (Almiron's) injury made things even harder. There's no criticism of the young guys who came in today, but it was a tough environment for them. We suffered the consequences.
 
"In an ideal world, there were a couple of players we'd have liked to have brought off sooner than we did today and it's just a sign of how stretched we are.
 
Howe also confirmed that Callum Wilson won't travel with England. “He's going to be out for a number of weeks."
 
Howe also brushed over what at first looked like an unsavoury incident involving Kieran Trippier and a fan; sensibly putting a lid on the matter in the same way that Trippier did when he the media asked him to comment.
 
"I did see that, and I just think there is high emotion at the end of games. We really appreciate our away support. Everyone is valued and we're just disappointed with the result.
The defeat leaves Howe's side seventh in the table, four points behind fourth-placed Liverpool, who can extend their advantage when they play Brentford at Anfield on Sunday afternoon.

Eddie Howe met the press ahead of tonight’s Champions League return fixture with Dortmund on Monday evening and first briefed the awaiting press corp with an update on the current injury situation engulfing his squad. Already without Sven Botman, Harvey Barnes, Alexander Isak, Javier Manquillo and Elliott Anderson, Howe confirmed that Dan Burn Jacob Murphy and Matt Targett were also ruled out for the foreseeable. And with Emil Krafth and Matt Ritchie not part of the 23 named in Howe’s Champions league squad his squad is looking a bit threadbare.
 
Neither Targett nor Burn travelled with the squad. Targett is booked in for a further assessment on his hamstring to determine the seriousness while Burn could be out for up to four months with what reports indicate is a cracked vertebrae in his lower back. 
Jacob Murphy was already ruled out following a second dislocation of his shoulder in as many weeks and which will now require surgery.
 
Speaking about his injury hit squad a philosophical Howe said “We'll see who is fit and who is available. You're always going to get injuries. Some of the injuries are on a longer-term scale so there's no relief coming around the corner. We wouldn't have it any other way. The games have come at a cost”.
 
A huge positive for Howe is that he now has Joe Willock fit and ready to fire on all cylinders and Tino Livramento and Lewis Hall performing so well when called upon. 
 
Howe will have learnt from the previous fixture where Dortmund managed the game perfectly and showed why they are one of one of Europe’s top sides. The big question however will be how Dortmund bounce back from the weekends heavy home defeat to bitter rivals Bayern Munich 
 
Speaking ahead of the game their head coach Edin Terzic had this to say about the weekend’s heavy defeat as well as the forthcoming visit of the Magpies.
 
"Saturday was very disappointing. We had big plans. On Sunday, we were very honest with each other and addressed the mistakes to put a tick in the box. Now the next task awaits us tomorrow,"
"We don't need any warning about Newcastle. We know how good they are. They beat Man Utd and Arsenal recently. They weren't happy with their performance in the first leg. It will be an open and intense game,"
 
Dortmund have doubts over Emre Can and left-back Ramy Bensebaini who are both struggling with injuries. Bensebaini trained with the squad on Monday and if there are no ill effects, he could make line up.
Terzić may be tempted to start teenage striker Youssoufa Moukoko after Saturday's loss to Bayern in place of Niclas Füllkrug.
 
Kicker Magazine meanwhile writes that "This isn't the first time in recent history that the mood in the Dortmund camp has been fragile," after Bayern ended Borussia's unbeaten Bundesliga start at the weekend. "Against Newcastle, we will find out what remains of Dortmund's former confidence after Saturday's setback."

During Saturday evenings post match drink in the Strawberry, I suddenly became all nostalgic for 1970’s children’s tv; with flashbacks coming thick and fast. Was I cracking up; was my brain turning into a fuzzy haze brought on by a mixture of euphoria and emotion and fuelled by lager and victory over the so-called mighty Arsenal; the only true contenders to challenge Guardiola’s sky blues, simply because their manager was a 'Guardiola apprentice' only a short few years ago.
But back to those flashbacks that were landing on the year 1977 and in particular focussing for some reason on the Just William tv series; based on the Books of the same name by author Richmal Crompton and particularly William’s neighbour Violet Elizabeth Bott who lived next door, played by Bonnie Langford. 
Odd you may say but bear with me!
Why? Because said character Violet Elizabeth had a catchphrase that she repeated almost every time she appeared on screen and the cause of the flashback was because I’m sure I had just heard said catchphrase being uttered for the first time in 46 years, and live on a tv screen, in a pub on Tyneside on a Saturday night, immediately after a win for Newcastle Utd had taken the team  up to sixth place in the premier league. 
 
I looked around. Some of my fellow pub dwellers were screaming at the TV, some were cursing, others laughing while expletives echoed the crowded room.  yet none were showing signs of flashbacks as far as I could tell!
I looked up and there on the tv screen above the pinball machine was a part tearful, part angry Mikel Arteta, manager of Arsenal; hardly someone I thought would be a follower of a 1970’s kids series aimed solely at the UK market; nor an avid reader of Richmal Crompton. 
But there he was doing a fine impersonation of Violet Elizabeth, (all be it in Spanglish) paying tribute to Bonnie AND doing it in full-on Violet Elizabeth modes I swear he shouted at the interviewer ‘I’ll scream and scream ‘til I’m sick!’when asked how he felt about losing 1:0 to Eddie Howe's Newcastle Utd.  I’m sure he said it; in fact I’m certain of it!
 
As a character Violet Elizabeth was meant to be unbearable; and she was. And as the tears built up and the anger grew so was Mr Arteta; indulging in a full-on Violet Elizabeth temper tantrum. and his was that of an unbearable sour faced self-entitled football manager; not a 10 year old girl. A grown man disengaged from reality in full on meltdown simply because a team of highly paid professional footballers  under his charge had failed to cope with the pace, power, and guile of Eddie Howe’s upstarts. 
 
A team who managed only one shot on target all game. 
 
A team that tried the roughhouse treatment and came off second best in all departments.
 
A team who went down to the only goal of the game in the 64th minute.
 
A team whose goalkeeper failed twice, to clear crosses into the box and who’s stumbling centreback went down from the most minimum of contact without clearing the ball from two yards out after none of his teammates bothered to track across to cut out any threat from their former teammate Joe Willock, who chased a lost cause and came up trumps, retrieving  the ball from going out for a goal kick and placing a fine cross unopposed into to the six yard box.
 
That team was Arteta’s team; or was it Violet Elizabeth’s team. Either way, they and he got what they deserved. Now’t.
 
Howe by contrast when he appeared on screen was beaming. Smiling like the proverbial Cheshire cat. Perhaps he by-passed Richmal Crompton at school and simply stuck to Lewis Carroll!
 
 
 

Between Carabao Cup and Champions League fixtures Newcastle Utd must squeeze in a Premier League against Arsenal on Saturday in the Sky sports selected 5:30pm fixture;the fifth such selected for tv start time for Newcastle this season.
 
Having lost the services of Matt Targett to injury after only 2 minutes on Wednesday night Howe will be holding a conversation with his medical staff to assess whether Targett’s name has been added to the ever-growing injured list before knowing who he has available for selection. 
 
Little is known of the level of injury that is holding back Sven Botman, while Harvey Barnes, Alexander Isak, Elliott Anderson, Lewis Miley, and Jacob Murphy are all ruled out through a mixture of injury and illness. And Howe will be hoping that the rest of his squad report fit for selection as the games come thick and fast.
 
On the plus side, howe was able to give deserved rests to several first team regulars for the visit to old Trafford while giving others a short run out with victory already in the bag.
 
A huge plus coming out of Wednesday night’s demolition of cup holders Manchester Utd was how the shadow team performed. Howe must be pleased by what he saw from Emil Krafth, Paul Dummett and his two summer signings Tino Livramento and Lewis Hall; and not forgetting Martin Dubravka, with all five producing excellent performances as well as a collective clean sheet as they shut out Man Utd’s misfiring strike force without breaking sweat.
 
Arsenal come to St James off the back of a surprise Carabao Cup defeat at the London Stadium where hosts West Ham Utd ran out 3:1 winners. However, their league form of seven wins and three draws with no losses see’s them sit in second place behind surprise league leaders Tottenham.
 
Their last league outing was the 5:0 demolition of Sheffield Utd with striker Eddie Nketiah scoring a hattrick and the 24-year-old will be one to keep a careful watch for Newcastle’s defenders as he looks to add to his five goals this season.
 
Arsenal are expected to be without Gabriel Jesus as well as long-term absentees Jurriën Timber, midfielder Thomas Partey, and Emile Smith-Rowe while doubts remain over the fitness of Martin Odegaard and Bukayo Saka.
 
Stuart Attwell will be the man in the middle for this fixture supported by assistants Richard West and James Mainwaring. Fourth official is Graham Scott. Hiding out in the VAR bunker you will find Andy Madley with his feet up on the table alongside his assistant Stuart Burt.

Eddie Howe made eight changes to the team that drew at Wolves last weekend, with only Sean Longstaff, Anthony Gordon and Joelinton being retained in the lineup to face Manchester Utd. 
And in the absence of Jamaal Lascelles and Kieran Trippier, Longstaff was handed the armband, leading out his boyhood club in front of 8,000 fellow proud Geordies among the 72,000 crowd.
​
However, the game could not have got off to a worse start for Longstaff and his fellow Geordies when, after only two minutes Matt Targett went down with what seemed like a severe hamstring injury 
With five senior players out injured, plus Sandro Tonali ruled out for 10 months due to his gambling ban, this was an injury Newcastle Utd could ill afford.
Howe was forced into the early introduction of Miguel Almiron in place of the unlucky Targett with Joelinton moving into central midfield and the left footed Almiron taking up the Brazilian’s left-wing berth.
 
Yet despite the changes it was Newcastle who seemed the more settled as they matched up to and surpassed their red devils’ rivals in all departments and with Longstaff and Joelinton leading through example, the red side of Old Trafford were soon showing their displeasure as their team looked pedestrian in comparison to the magpies work rate.
 
Summer signings Tino Livramento and Lewis Hall were looking particularly dangerous in these early exchanges as they kept Antony and Garnacho busy tracking back as much as they did going forward.
 
In the 28th minute Livramento again picked off Garnacho with ease and set off on a Crossfield run with the ball that stretched sixty yards, before playing in Almiron with a defence splitting pass that the Paraguayan took in his stride before slotting into the far past the on rushing Onana for the opening goal; a goal Newcastle fully deserved.
 
On 36 minutes it was 0:2 with some fine Newcastle interplay down the left led to Willock’s chipped cross being cleared by the head of Maguire only as far as Hall who fired home into the same far corner as that found by Almiron eight minutes earlier. 
 
The reds inside Old Trafford were stunned, while the 8,000 travelling Geordies were in wonderland!
 
Newcastle’s left side was certainly proving to be Man Utd’s Achilles heel and it was no surprise that the beleaguered Ten Hag replaced his right back Diogo Dalot at half-time not only for his failure to track Almiron for the opener but for his general lack of ability to track anybody: be it the Paraguayan or his teammates Hall, Willock Longstaff, Gordon Ritchie or Joelinton. All of whom were enjoying the freedom that Dalot, and his fellow defenders were providing. 
 
Returning Brazilian midfielder Casemiro did not re-appear for the second half either although youngster Mejbri (Hannibal) survived Ten hag’s half time cull despite walking a yellow card tightrope with referee Robert Jones.
 
Manchester Utd rallied somewhat during the early stages of the second half, but any sign of a comeback was extinguished when the ever-willing Joe Willock picked up a loose ball in midfield before running at the back-peddling red’s defenders before firing into the bottom left corner past a despairing Onana to give his team an unassailable lead.
 
Both teams then rang the changes with Howe sending on Guimarães and Wilson for Willock and Gordon respectively while Ten Hag called upon Højlund, Rashford and Fernandes in the hope of injecting some passion and quality into his despondent team. But by the time Howe offered a run out to Trippier and Burn in place of Hall and Ritchie any hope of quality and passion had evaporated just like the Old Trafford crowd as the rejoicing toon army behind Onana’s goal continued their 90-minute party.
 
When the referee brought proceedings to an end Newcastle United claimed their second Old Trafford victory over Manchester United since 1972; avenged their Carabao Cup final defeat at Wembley and piled a huge lump of pressure on Erik ten Hag as ‘sacked in the morning’ echoed from the voices of supporters remaining inside the stadium, including those in red and white.
 
Ten Hag lost only six of his first 40 games in charge up to last season’s Carabao Cup final success. They have lost 13 of 36 since. They have lost consecutive home matches by three goals or more for the first time since October 1962.
 
He has spent over £350m in three transfer windows since his arrival from Ajax. Five of his signings started the game; six finished it and none emerged with any real credit.
Howe meanwhile included seven players in his line-up that were at the club prior to his arrival and four that were part of the Rafa Benitez’ squad that gained promotion back to the premier League in 2017. Sharp contrast indeed!
 
Newcastle rolls on to the Quarter final where the post-match draw set up as visit to Stamford Bridge to face Chelsea in mid-December.

 
While Sky Sports may be billing this as an opportunity for Newcastle Utd to overcome the disappointment of last seasons Carabao Cup final, in reality the club, team and supporters have moved on and it is Manchester Utd who are looking to reprise February’s cup win in the hope that it provides a much-needed spark to their season.
 
And revenge was not on the lips of Eddie Howe when he met the press ahead of the fixture, simply saying: "That is not our emotion as I sit here now, my emotion is just to prepare to try and win the game. One win and we're into the quarter-final of the competition, we loved our run last year and we're determined to try and do as well as we can despite the fact we do have a few injuries. The squad will be stretched to a degree, but we'll still try to be competitive."
 
Joe Willock continued his re-introduction to first team action over the last two games appearing from the bench on both occasions but whether he is ready for a start remains in doubt.
 
Howe will again be without the services of Botman, Anderson, Barnes, Isak, Murphy and the suspended Tonali, while Javier Manquillo has joined the absentee list having picked up a groin injury in training.
 
Manchester Utd should be smarting after their humiliating derby defeat to Manchester City on Sunday afternoon but whether that is the case remains to be seen as words of an unsettled squad start to emanate from their Carrington training base. Sunday’s defeat was Ten Hag’s team’s seventh in all competitions this season. And while the dutchman has dismissed talk of his future being in jeopardy, he cancelled his face-to-face meeting with the press on Tuesday and simply put his words out in the form of a written statement. 
 
KO tonight is 8:15PM GMT.