Today Bournemouth hosted Newcastle, and Eddie Howe deviated from the usual 4-3-3 that we’ve become accustomed to seeing his Newcastle side play under him. This was likely in part due to the absences of Anthony Gordon and Yoane Wissa, who likely would take the flanks on either side of Woltemade. However, with their absence, Howe set up his team in a 3-5-2 like this:

The recent addition of Malick Thiaw and Nick Woltemade also might have been a factor in choosing this formation, with both players having extensive experience playing in this formation in Germany. However, this was not a traditional-looking 3-5-2, mostly due to the versatile roles of Joe Willock and Jacob Murphy. In possession, Willock was generally the most advanced of the midfield 3, playing in the left channels. The more upfield Willock moved, Tonali compensated by dropping deeper alongside Miley. Jacob Murphy played a second striker role making forward runs behind the defence , often combining with Woltemade as the ST dropped deep.

Out of possession, the 3-5-2 moved into a 5-4-1 shape, like so:

Both wingbacks dropped into defence, with Willock and Murphy taking up the winger roles out of possession. Woltemade acted as the lone outlet while Newcastle were under extended pressure, with the other 9 men behind the ball. Newcastle did not press Bournemouth high up the pitch, setting up in a deep mid block, often with Woltemade being the lone outfield player pressing in the opponents half. Howe had a clear instruction to his team to keep their defensive 5-4 lines behind Woltemade, which I believe helped nullify Bournemouth’s effectiveness at bypassing a high press.

When Newcastle won the ball back, they generally did not try to attack as directly as we have seen them do in the past. In the 3-5-2 shape, their progression was much more controlled, with slower progression consisting of shorter passes. Without a front 3, this approach helped them move numbers up the pitch and support their attack. The majority of chance creation did come from wide areas, with a clear emphasis on trying to find Woltemade in the box. While I know that Woltemade is the closest thing Howe has to a target forward, not enough consistent chances were created for him to attack in the air, with the German often being defended by both Bournemouth CB’s. Woltemade’s best play came when he was dropping deep and helping in buildup, especially when forward runs were being made for him, much like Harry Kane used to do for Spurs.

In the second half, the substitutions of Anthony Elanga and Harvey Barnes, for Jacob Murphy and Joe Willock, respectively, changed the Newcastle shape back to a narrow 5-2-3. Out of possession, the shape remained a 4-5-1, with Elanga and Barnes being tasked with considerable defensive responsibilities. Howe’s defensive gameplan came off well today, with neither side truly deserving a goal based off the run of play. It is worth noting that Newcastle looked significantly weaker defensively after Elanga and Barnes were subbed on for Murphy and Willock (likely due to the latters’ ability to play as midfielders or wide players, vs. being pure wingers).

Despite only coming away with a 0-0 draw, Howe’s tactical plan worked well to nullify a very dangerous Bournemouth side, fresh off wins over Spurs and Brighton. Bournemouth have proven to be one of the best teams in the league at creating chances under Andoni Iraola, and I was impressed with Newcastle’s ability to stop them. While not historically being a manager who changes tactics and formations often, this is a good development for Eddie Howe’s Newcastle side. Considering their future Champions League matches, an approach like this 3-5-2 might just give them a much better chance at coming away with results against the best teams in Europe. This is likely a direct response to Newcastle’s 2-1 loss at home to Barcelona midweek, where both goals came from a very free Marcus Rashford, finding space off the left wing. Today’s match proved that Newcastle’s gameplan can nullify effective wingers, with Antoine Semenyo, one of the PL’s most dangerous wingers, being mostly marked out. The emphasis on numbers behind the ball forced Bournemouth to commit more players forward in attack, leaving them more vulnerable to Newcastle’s counter-attacks. With Anthony Gordon healthy playing off Woltemade, I believe this tactic can set up Newcastle well against any side.

The main downside of this tactic was the lack of offensive chances created, though the defensive solidity more than made up for it. On another day, if Howe sets his team up in their usual 4-3-3, Bournemouth might be coming away with another big win.

A new-look Newcastle United provided a very interesting tactical analysis in this morning’s 0-0 draw at Bournemouth, potentially setting a blueprint for other teams to nullify Bournemouth’s attack. Bournemouth finished this match having only created 0.55xG and two shots on target.

Thanks for Reading,
LM