Slim pickings for Magpies in yet another fruitless Cherries battle

Newcastle 0 Bournemouth 1

1. Finally we see 4-4-2 – but I wouldn’t bank on seeing it again any time soon...

After an impassioned defence of his side’s style in his pre-match Press conference – in which Benitez stressed Newcastle “are not defensive, we are well organised – there is a difference” – the Spaniard still managed to spring another selection surprise.

Ayoze Perez, who has been criticised by a portion of United fans in recent weeks, was dropped for the first time in the Premier League this season – but it was not Mo Diame who came in to replace him as a No 10.

Instead, it was Dwight Gayle, who made his first league start since being hooked after 52 minutes against Huddersfield Town due to a sickness bug.

Not only was Gayle named in the starting line-up, but so too was Joselu – which led many supporters to excitedly predict before the game that Benitez had finally relented after more than 18 months and opted to line-up 4-4-2 in a league match.

And, although fluid, that was indeed the formation Benitez opted for.

By the interval, despite Newcastle’s Newcastle fans on a frustrating day first-half dominance, neither Gayle nor Joselu had managed to break the deadlock. The latter squandered an excellent chance from the edge of the area, while the latter had a goal disallowed for offside.

It was a marginal call, but it was probably just about the right one.

Joselu, however, struggled in front of goal and with his passing all afternoon, eventually being replaced midway through the second half by Perez.

The longer the game wore on, the less threatening United looked – and this may put Benitez off playing 4-4-2 again in a hurry...

2. Ritchie was the spark – but United could not ignite him often enough

Ritchie scored 31 goals in 138 appearances over three-and-a-half seasons at Dean Court, helping Bournemouth achieve two promotions before his £12m move to Newcastle during the summer of 2016.

Since then, he has become a “key player” for United – in Benitez’s words – and is the man who really makes Newcastle tick.

When Ritchie is on song, the Magpies are usually pitch perfect. His intensity and drive forces his teammates forward.

Against his former side – who he was facing for the first time since moving to St James’ Park – Ritchie was Newcastle’s best offensive player by a distance.

Not only did he come within inches of putting the home side ahead with a stunning curled effort which struck the inside of the post, he also provided some excellent crosses for his teammates during the first half.

Unfortunately, after the break, Newcastle simply could not get the winger into the game enough. Instead, Bournemouth grew in confidence as the match progress.

Ritchie, meanwhile, was starved of the ball in dangerous areas during the second period, meaning he was unable to add to his five Premier League assists already this term.

If United are going to ensure they do not get dragged into a relegation battle this term, making sure Ritchie can provide influence is going to be crucial.

3. United are lacking dynamism without Merino

For the second game in succession, Mikel Merino was unavailable with a lower-back injury – but Benitez will hope that the prognosis on the midfielder’s fitness is not an overly negative one.

The 21-year-old has barely featured since signing a permanent deal with the Magpies last month, and Benitez admitted that Merino’s injury would be “weeks rather than days”.

He was unclear, however, as to whether Merino will be back as soon