AFC Bournemouth vs Manchester City
Date: 25/08/2019
K/O: 14.00
Venue: The Vitality Stadium
Referee: Andre Marriner
TV: Sky Sports Premier League
Eddie Howe’s Bournemouth side host defending champions Manchester City in Sunday’s early kick-off, hoping to add more misery to the champions’ season, after Pep Guardiola’s side dropped points at home to Tottenham Hotspur last week. For Guardiola’s men, it is an opportunity to get back on the right track. However, it will by no means be an easy feat, as last season’s gritty encounter displayed.
Capitalising on two early Aston Villa mistakes last week, Bournemouth cruised to a 2-0 lead in the first 10 minutes. Encouragingly, despite conceding 63% possession and 22 shots to the newly-promoted side, Bournemouth’s defence had enough steel in them to limit Villa to a solitary Douglas Luiz edge-of-the-box curler. Ake and Cook seem to have formed a fairly solid partnership; something which will help the Cherries a lot this season.
For Manchester City, the problem last week was wastefulness. They had Tottenham on the edge of their sword this past weekend, but failed to deliver the killer blow. Full credit goes to Tottenham for taking their chances when they came, but Guardiola’s men will know it was a game they should have won comfortably.
If last season’s counterpart fixture is something to go by, both teams will have to be at the very top of their game to get something this time around. Bournemouth failed to get away a single shot in their 90 minutes against City last time, and City – despite having 82% of the ball – only scraped through on a well taken Riyad Mahrez goal close to the hour mark. It was a grind for both sides in every sense of the word. But more realistically, Bournemouth will have more of a go at the champions this time around.
In injury news, Benjamin Mendy returned to training for the champions. But given his nagging injury woes ever since signing, Pep Guardiola is expected to very gradually ease the Frenchman into his side. Oleksandr Zinchenko should still retain his spot as the starting LB. However, this weekend is a little too soon for John Stones, who was absent from the team-sheet last week as well, as he too battles injury.
For Bournemouth, Eddie Howe confirmed Lewis Cook returned to training yesterday. He also mentioned the role the home fans will play in their battle, saying the players will mirror their energy as they go toe-to-toe with the reigning Champions in the top-flight.
It promises to be an exciting prospect, both energetically and tactically.
Predicted Starting XIs
Bournemouth (4-4-1-1): Ramsdale; Smith, Cook, Ake, Daniels; Harry Wilson, Billing, Lerma, Fraser; King; Wilson
Manchester City (4-3-3): Ederson; Walker, Otamendi, Laporte, Zinchenko; Bernardo, Rodri, De Bruyne; Mahrez, Aguero, Sterling
Prediction: AFC Bournemouth 0-2 Manchester City
I expect Bournemouth to give Manchester City a fierce, back-and-forth opening 15 minutes. But I do expect De Bruyne and Bernardo to start dominating the possession and position games soon thereafter. Sergio Aguero has seen now that Gabriel Jesus has really upped his game in recent weeks, and I expect City’s all-time leading goalscorer to up his own to try and keep Jesus on the bench. Raheem Sterling has started the season in blistering form, and I expect him to be involved in one of the goals as well, as he always is against Bournemouth. Overall, City’s wave after wave of attacks will eventually wear Bournemouth’s rearguard down, and come away with all three points.
