Newcastle's European ambitions suffer another setback with defeat to Bournemouth

Newcastle's chances of securing a European spot have taken a significant blow following a late 2-1 loss to Bournemouth, who have now extended their unbeaten run in the Premier League to 13 matches. This was a fixture Newcastle needed to win, especially after consecutive defeats to Sunderland and Crystal Palace, but instead, they have fallen further behind in the European picture. The pressure on Eddie Howe has intensified, as Newcastle's inability to close out games has once again been called into question. Meanwhile, Andoni Iraola's in-form side has shown no signs of weakness despite the Cherries boss announcing his departure from the club at the end of the season. Bournemouth dominated the first half, with Newcastle struggling to cope with their press. The Cherries took the lead just after the half-hour mark when Marcus Tavernier tapped in Rayan's pass. They could have doubled their lead soon after with a similar move, but Evanilson failed to convert Alex Scott's delivery. At the other end, Alex Scott almost scored an own goal, but Djordje Petrovic made a superb stop late in the half. Lewis Hall was replaced by Kieran Trippier at halftime, reportedly due to an injury. However, there was more positive news in the 62nd minute when captain Bruno Guimaraes made his return after two months out, receiving a great ovation. His influence was soon felt as Newcastle equalized. Initially, it was thought that Guimaraes' pass had found Will Osula, who held off his defender before slotting home. As Osula celebrated, the offside flag was already up, ruling out the goal. However, upon VAR review, it was determined that Evanilson had gotten the final touch ahead of Guimaraes, meaning Osula was onside, and the equalizer was given. But there was another injury concern when Tino Livramento appeared to limp off with a groin injury. "It could be his season over," Tim Sherwood said on Soccer Saturday, also raising concerns for England ahead of the World Cup. Newcastle's afternoon took a turn for the worse when Truffert gave Bournemouth the lead again in the 85th minute. He initiated the move, picking out Tavernier down the left, whose cross was well-met by Evanilson, before Truffert stormed in to poke the loose ball past Aaron Ramsdale. This is the third consecutive Premier League game in which Newcastle have conceded match-losing goals after the 80th minute, highlighting their ongoing struggle to hold on to points. As nine minutes of injury time were shown, Guimaraes drew another fine save from Petrovic, before Burn blazed a header over, as Newcastle suffered yet another defeat. They remain in 14th place on 42 points, six points behind Bournemouth in eighth, who are level with Brentford and Chelsea on 48 points, giving their own European aspirations a boost. Newcastle boss Eddie Howe spoke to Sky Sports: "I don't think we played to our best. I thought it was quite even between the goals. I don't think there was much in it. They are obviously on a good run of form and playing with confidence. We are on the opposite end of that. That probably balanced out a performance where they were more productive in front of goal than we were. Ultimately, that decided the game. "It is [flat at St James' Park] but it is understandable given our recent run of form. The way we are playing isn't to our normal standard. You have to understand the rough and the smooth and take both sides of that. We are not delivering what we want, and we have to accept that. "You have to take it to a degree. We are here to win games. We are here to achieve great things. This season could have been different. We are in the position we are in at the moment, and that is a frustration for everybody. I don't have any issue with the demands placed upon us. I think that comes with the territory. "There is no lack of effort, no lack of hard work or commitment from me or the players. We are not delivering, we know, anywhere near a good enough product at the moment, and we are trying to find the answers to that." Bournemouth head coach Andoni Iraola spoke to Sky Sports: "I think we played really well, especially in the first half. The second half was expected, as they had a reaction and pushed us. At 1-1, the momentum of the game changed, but we showed composure and we deserved this. "This is a very difficult place to come as an away team, and you have to be ready to match the intensity. This is a team that is very good on transition; they are so fast in the last line that you can lose those races. But overall, we have defended very well. "I think we are in a great place, with a great run of results. We are arriving at the important part of the season. We have our chances. "It is difficult because we have teams ahead of us, but we have five games to try to catch these teams, to try to continue playing well, and keep this unbeaten run going as long as we can. Because these players have shown they are not taking days off." Play Super 6 for a chance to win £250k. Enter for free.