Bournemouth face a long trip to Newcastle United for a Premier League clash at St James' Park this weekend. The Cherries, currently 15th in the table with two points from three games, will kick off at 12.30pm BST on Saturday after a 700-mile round journey for their supporters.
The south-coast side are unbeaten in their last eight league meetings with Newcastle. They have also scored nine goals across their last three visits to Tyneside, a venue where they enjoyed an FA Cup third-round success last season. Both clubs have new managers this term, with Marco Rose now in charge at Bournemouth and Matthias Jaissle leading Newcastle.
Marco Rose has made a key change in midfield for this fixture. Tyler Adams comes into the starting eleven, with Lewis Cook dropping to the bench. This adjustment is part of Rose's early work to shape the squad, which has drawn two and lost one of its opening matches. The team's form reads DDL, and they have scored four goals while conceding five so far this campaign.
Bournemouth's injury list includes several players who are currently sidelined. Amine Adli, Eli Junior Kroupi, Julián Araujo, and Veljko Milosavljević are all unavailable for selection, which impacts Rose's options. Fans can check the latest availability updates on the club's injuries page.
This match represents the longest single journey any Premier League team will make this season. It will have been an early start for Bournemouth fans as the Cherries make the 700-mile round trip to St James’ Park, the longest journey in the Premier League, for the 12.30pm BST kick-off.
The historical record favours the visitors, but Newcastle have their own new signings to integrate. Matias Fernandez-Pardo was named among the substitutes for the Magpies, while Tino Livramento was also fit for the bench. Eddie Howe and Andoni Iraola, both former Bournemouth managers, will be watching from afar as their old clubs contest this early-season match.
Entering this gameweek, Bournemouth sit seven points behind the early leaders, Manchester City. Their goal difference stands at minus one. The team's immediate focus will be on gathering momentum before returning to the Vitality Stadium.
Their next fixture is a home game against Brentford, who are currently fifth, scheduled for September 12. Supporters can view the full schedule on the fixtures page. The current league standings show a tight bottom half, where every point is valuable.
Marco Rose's appointment is part of a summer of change at both clubs. His immediate task is to improve results from a squad dealing with some injury absences. The decision to start Tyler Adams indicates a desire for more dynamism in the centre of the park.
Bournemouth's recent form against Newcastle provides a psychological boost, but executing the game plan after such a long travel day presents a physical challenge. The team's performance data, including heatmaps and expected goals graphs, is available in the Match Centre. Bournemouth host Brentford in six days' time.
