Kluivert hits hat-trick as Bournemouth bring end to Newcastle winning streak | Premier League

Only last week Eddie Howe warned that, even after nine straight wins, his Newcastle team were not “quite fixed”.

Andoni Iraola’s players relished the opportunity to prove their old manager right as Justin Kluivert’s fabulous hat-trick suggested Bournemouth really are credible candidates for European qualification.

While this failure to secure a club record breaking 10th successive victory confirmed Howe’s assertion that the internal problems that derailed the early part of Newcastle’s season are not fully mended, Iraola’s defence thoroughly subdued Alexander Isak, extinguishing the Sweden striker’s hopes of scoring for a ninth Premier League game in a row.

Bournemouth were far too strong and speedy for their hosts. Indeed they were so aggressive off the ball and intelligently incisive on it, that it was easy to forget that Iraola’s brilliant counter attacking side had limped into Toon. Not that a casualty list that left the Spaniard with only 12 fully fit senior players prevented Kluivert from shooting the visitors into an early lead.

It is almost 21 years since Sir Bobby Robson signed Kluivert Sr for Newcastle but even a manager of Robson’s calibre never presided over a run of nine straight wins during his St James’ Park tenure.

In doing precisely that Howe had matched similarly victorious runs enjoyed by Kevin Keegan and Rafa Benítez but Bournemouth appeared on a mission to prevent him eclipsing all comers and completing a perfect 10.

Even before Kluivert scored, David Brooks’s left-footed right wing cross had caused consternation in the home defence, prefacing Martin Dubravka doing well to deny Dango Ouattara before Antoine Semenyo pounced on the rebound and missed a very decent chance.

If Iraola’s players were dazzling under a bright blue sky, Newcastle were initially as under-powered as the weak January sun but still managed to equalise from a set piece.

With Dan Burn serving as a decoy, distracting Ilya Zabarnyi, Bruno Guimarães was left unmarked as Lewis Hall’s corner swung in and the Brazilian beat Kepa Arrizabalaga with a header that the goalkeeper touched but could not hold.

Undeterred, Bournemouth remained the superior team, deservedly regaining their lead shortly before half-time. Once again Kluivert was the scorer. His ninth league goal of the season arrived when Ryan Christie’s dispossession of Guimarães permitted Ouattara to advance at speed before slipping a pass for Kluivert to stroke, expertly, into the bottom corner of the net before either the backpedaling Hall or Burn could intercept.

Although Arrizabalaga subsequently saved superbly to deny Sandro Tonali, Newcastle were persistently half a yard off the pace, frequently permitting their guests to seize possession far too cheaply.

The resultant frustration saw things turn more than a little bad tempered with an off the ball altercation involving Joelinton and Kluivert emblematic of the prevailing mood.

It was no surprise when Howe endeavoured to reinforce his rearguard by replacing a fatigued looking Sven Botman with Fabian Schär at the interval.

Bournemouth though remained ascendant. So much so that Ouattara thought he had scored their third only to see that “goal” correctly disallowed due to the ball having earlier slipped fractionally out of play during a frenetic cameo also featuring Ouattara hitting a post and Brooks stretching Dubravka to the limit.

Howe introduced Joe Willock and Kieran Trippier in place of Jacob Murphy and Hall. They could not prevent Kluivert completing his treble thanks to a glorious stoppage time drive from just outside the area before Milos Kerkez shot the fourth as Newcastle’s hopes of Champions League qualification sustained a sobering dent.

A further stint in the repair shop beckons for Howe’s players.