Newcastle 1-4 Bournemouth: Justin Kluivert nets a surprising hat-trick at St James’ Park to finish Magpies’ nine-match profitable streak
- Kluivert opened the scoring after five minutes before Bruno Guimaraes’ equaliser
- Dutchman netted again before the break and completed hat-trick in injury-time
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Chasing 10 out of 10, Newcastle served up a one out of 10 performance and were duly given a right chasing by brilliant Bournemouth. The one player who merited top marks here was Justin Kluivert, scorer of a wonderful hat-trick.
Kluivert’s dad, Patrick, netted only once in the Premier League at St James’ Park in Newcastle’s colours. His son had two inside 45 minutes and he lowered those black and white stripes still further when smashing a third in injury-time.
That made it 3-1, but only when Milos Kerkez made it four a few minutes later did the game have the scoreline that better reflected the difference between the sides.
Bournemouth took a water cannon to the fevered optimism that had descended on Tyneside on the back of nine straight wins, and within a few minutes it was evident that Eddie Howe’s side were drowning. They played passes with sirens on them all afternoon and, while two of them led to Bournemouth goals, do not believe Andoni Iraola’s were gifted this win. They played the way Newcastle do at their best – fast, furious and fun to watch.
It would have been a new club record for Howe’s men had they extended their winning run to double figures. But if you’re going to have an off day, don’t have it against a team who will bite you on far more than the backside. Just ask Newcastle’s back four – they were chewed up and spat out by Kluivert and his supporting cast of Antoine Semenyo, David Brooks and Dango Ouattara.
Howe did not shy away from his former club’s superiority.

Justin Kluiver scored a stunning hat-trick to end Newcastle’s nine-match win streak

The Cherries have moved up to sixth in the Premier league table, one point behind Newcastle

Chasing a club record 10 straight wins, Newcastle gave a display worthy of only minimal marks
‘We didn’t have total control in any phase,’ he said. ‘They were better than us and never allowed us to find our rhythm. That is not the level we have played at. We were devoid of energy. I don’t think any of our game survived (from the winning run). We were off it in every area.’
Newcastle were unchanged from their midweek win over Wolves but, even after five minutes, it was clear that tired legs and tired minds would prove their undoing. Howe was already shaking his head at his slumbersome stars, and they had not made it out of their own half by the time the Cherries led on six minutes.
It all looked rather easy, too. Semenyo escaped in behind Tino Livramento – now there was a recurring theme – and pulled back for Kluivert to drill home unmarked from 12 yards.
Bournemouth did not let up, either. Sensing a home weakness – several, in fact – they continued to swarm forward. Livramento and Lewis Hall, a pair of England full-backs, were enduring by far their most torturous outings of the season up against Semenyo and Brooks.
For all Newcastle were slow and, at times, soft, the visitors were quick and aggressive. So, when the second goal of the game arrived on 25 minutes, the only surprise was that it was an equalising one. There were shades of Gary Speed about Bruno Guimaraes as he found space and leapt to flash a header into the bottom corner from Hall’s corner. It was the reprieve Newcastle so badly needed but one of which they failed to take advantage.
Normal service – or abnormal, given pre-match expectation – was soon resumed. At one point, Anthony Gordon screamed at his team-mates in defence, ‘No more!’. He was asking them to stop playing the ball out from the back. He was asking them to stop gifting Bournemouth possession.
They did not listen. And so, on the stroke of half-time, Dan Burn played a pass to Guimaraes that he probably did not need and the Brazilian was very quickly mugged of possession. Kluivert was set free by Ouattara and he finished across Martin Dubrvaka.
He had to wait another 45 minutes for his hat-trick goal but it was the pick of the lot, seizing a loose ball 25 yards out and sizing a shot that he swept into an unguarded corner.

Kluivert swept the ball home after six minutes after Bournemouth’s strong start

Bruno Guimaraes found space and leapt to flash a header into the bottom corner to level

Kluivert was set free by Dango Ouattara and he finished across Martin Dubrvaka for his second

The Dutchman seized a loose ball 25 yards out and fired into the corner for his hat-trick

Kerkez was found by Kluivert and the full-back whipped across Dubravka deep into added time
Newcastle had conceded three goals during their previous nine wins, but they soon shipped a fourth in 90 minutes when Kerkez whipped past Dubravka from a narrow angle. The creator? Kluivert.
‘He scored three very beautiful goals also,’ said Iraola. ‘I played against his father, and he scored against me! He was a top player. Justin uses this advantage, the advice from Patrick. He has that attacking threat.
‘But his work rate defensively has been very valuable. Obviously, if you add the goals, everything is much nicer. But I cannot say just one player, everyone has been very, very good.’
At 2-1, in the 89th minute, Newcastle made a mess of a free-kick and Howe was left with his head in his hands on the touchline. It was that sort of afternoon, and it had been from the very start.