Champions League hopefuls Newcastle United will face Eddie Howe’s former club Bournemouth in their second league match of the 2024/25 season.
The Magpies will be targeting all three points at the Vitality Stadium as they look to maintain their 100 percent record after an opening day victory over Southampton.
Meanwhile, the Cherries will be hoping to cause an upset as new striker Evanilson aims to make an impression in his first match after becoming the club’s all-time record transfer.
The fixture marks the 12th Premier League meeting between the two sides and Howe’s third return to the ground which once regularly cheered his name on matchdays. Howe ironically took charge of Bournemouth in their first ever top-flight match against the Magpies in November 2015 and suffered a narrow 1-0 defeat against the run of play on home soil after a first half winner from Ayoze Perez.
The victory marked the first of just two away victories throughout the 2015/16 season as the Magpies suffered the heartbreak of relegation to the Championship.
But who was included in the starting line-up for Newcastle on that occasion and where are they now?
9. LM: Georginio Wijnaldum - Al-Ettifaq
With 11 goals and five assists, Gini Wijnaldum was by far Newcastle’s standout player in the 2015/16 season and has unsurprisingly gone on to have the best career. The Netherlands international joined Liverpool in 2017 and proved to be a steal at £25m as he helped guide the Reds to Premier League and Champions League glory whilst thriving in a deeper midfield role. Less notable spells at PSG and Roma have since followed and he now finds himself at Steven Gerrard’s Al Ettifaq team in Saudi Arabia. | Getty Images
10. RM: Moussa Sissoko - Watford
French international Moussa Sissoko showed glimpses of quality on Tyneside but struggled for consistency. He starred in Euro 2016 as France reached the final and earned himself a blockbuster £30m move to Tottenham. Sissoko impressed in his early years in North London and was part of the team which reached the 2019 Champions League final before losing to Liverpool. The 35-year-old suffered relegation with Watford in 2021/22 and has now moved back to Vicarage Road for a second spell in the Championship. | AFP via Getty Images
11. ST: Aleksandar Mitrovic - Al Hilal
Aleksandar Mitrovic scored nine goals in the 2015/16 campaign but fell down the pecking order following the arrival of Rafael Benitez as manager. The Serbian forward enjoyed an incredible five-year stint at Fulham which saw him score 97 times in 173 games before completing a move to Saudi Arabian side Al Hilal where he continues to score goals. | Getty Images
12. ST: Ayoze Perez- Villarreal
One of the top scorers of the Mike Ashley era, Ayoze Perez remained a fan favourite at Newcastle for five years and formed a crucial part of the team which re-established itself in the Premier League after relegation. He completed a huge £30m move to Leicester in 2019 and initially performed well at the King Power Stadium but fell down the pecking order after the arrival of James Maddison. Perez has rebuilt his career in Spain and this summer completed a £4m move to Spanish giants Villarreal after two seasons with Real Betis. | Getty Images