Newcastle’s Howe after 0-0 draw: It’s different without Isak

Sep 21, 2025, 01:03 PM ET

Eddie Howe admitted his Newcastle team will be a different attacking side this season without Alexander Isak, after watching the 0-0 draw at his former club Bournemouth.

It was the third goalless draw in a row away from home for Howe’s side and the head coach says other players must now step up to fill the void left by Isak’s move to Liverpool.

Howe said: “It’s three 0-0s away from home for us, which is really uncommon with our attacking style.

“I think just naturally we’re going to be a different team attacking-wise this year without Alex.”

Following Isak’s £125 million ($168.4m) switch, Newcastle acted quickly to bring in Yoane Wissa, who is expected to miss the next month with injury, and Nick Woltemade, who led the line at the Vitality Stadium in a game of very few chances.

“I thought Nick played really well today,” Howe said. “I thought he was very effective with his footwork and his link play.

“But we just need to know and get used to him and his style more and get more runners off him because he’s very good in that respect.

“I’m hopeful we’re evolving to a different team, hopefully a better team, but it may take a bit of time.”

Eddie Howe admitted Newcastle are trying to adapt to a new style without star striker Alexander Isak. Robbie Jay Barratt – AMA/Getty Images

On the plus side for Howe, it is now four clean sheets in five games this season — no mean feat against in-form Bournemouth, who managed just two shots on target to the visitors’ one.

Andoni Iraola’s side did have the ball in the net when David Brooks lashed in Evanilson’s cut-back in the first half but it was ruled out for a marginal offside by VAR.

Newcastle’s best effort came at the end of a slick move involving Woltemade and Sandro Tonali to tee up Jacob Murphy for a shot from a tight angle which Djordje Petrovic turned around the post.

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“We respected each other a lot,” Iraola said. “It was very different from the last Bournemouth versus Newcastle games.

“If there was a team closer to scoring, I think it was Bournemouth.

“In some games we’ve been more brilliant and we’ve made more of a difference, but we’ve been competitive in every game.

“Even the game we lost against Liverpool, we were there until the last minute. Today, it was a different kind of game, very close.”

Iraola claimed Newcastle defender Malick Thiaw should have been sent off for a challenge on Ryan Christie, having already been booked.

“The Newcastle bench decided to take him out, it’s a clear second yellow,” the Spaniard said. “I don’t know if it would make a difference because there wasn’t much [time] remaining.”

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