MY ACCOUNT
– Seven of Bournemouth’s last eight league games have produced less than three goals
– Less than three goals have been scored in four of City’s last six games in all comps
– Bournemouth have conceded nine goals across their last nine home PL games
– Recommended Bet: Back Under 2.5 Man City goals
Bournemouth will look to build on their first win in more than three months when they host title-chasing Manchester City at the Vitality Stadium on Saturday evening.
Gary O’Neil’s men held firm after breaking the deadlock at Molineux last weekend and should take confidence from their 1-0 win over an improving Wolves side.
However, the Cherries have never beaten City in 18 previous attempts, losing 16, and were walloped 4-0 by the reigning champions at the Etihad Stadium earlier this season.
Arriving at the South Coast following a 1-1 midweek draw with RB Leipzig in their Champions League last-16 tie, Pep Guardiola’s men will be desperate to get back to winning ways after losing ground to Arsenal in the title race last weekend.
Team news
O’Neil would have wanted to keep the same line-up that won last Saturday but goalscorer Marcus Tavernier, who was the one change from the draw with Newcastle, has been ruled out of the clash.
Jaidon Anthony should, therefore, earn a recall ahead of Antoine Semenyo and Ryan Christie, who may again have to be content with places on the bench.
The form of Jack Stephens and Marcos Senesi in central defence will keep Chris Mepham out of the starting XI while fellow defenders Lloyd Kelly and Illia Zabarnyi are still sidelined.
David Brooks and Lewis Cook are also still unavailable this weekend.
Guardiola did not make a single substitution on Wednesday night as City became the first team to make no in-game changes in a Champions League clash since Manchester United in October 2018 against Juventus.
The City boss is likely to freshen up his starting XI by recalling Phil Foden, who started against Nottingham Forest last weekend.
But Kevin De Bruyne (illness) is rated only 50-50 to make the clash on the South Coast as he only returned to training on Friday.
Aymeric Laporte (illness) and John Stones (hamstring) are definitely out.
The stats
Bournemouth have lost 12 straight games to City — 11 in the Premier League and one in the Carabao Cup.
The Cherries have conceded a league-leading 13 goals from set pieces this season, plus an additional six from penalties — also the most in the top flight.
Haaland has scored only once in his last six appearances for City (595 minutes) but still averages a goal every 77.3 minutes for the club since the start of the Premier League campaign.
This season, the Norwegian is averaging one touch of the ball every 3.8 minutes of play in the Premier League and Champions League with his fewest touches in an outing coming in City’s 4-0 home win over Bournemouth last August (seven in 73 minutes).
Prediction
The question of whether City’s wasteful performance at the City Ground last Saturday was just a blip or whether their title challenge is fading should be answered at Bournemouth.
This fixture has guaranteed three points for the Citizens since before Guardiola took charge, but there is no disputing the fact that the Blues have gone off the boil a little in recent weeks.
They have now failed to win three of their last five away league games and this one comes with the added complication of following an away Champions League midweek match.
City have failed to win half of their last 10 domestic matches that followed on from big European away ties, which could give Bournemouth some encouragement to attack the champions.
Most probably, though, they will sit deep and try to strike on the counter-attack — a scenario Guardiola’s men are well used to dealing with.
The Cherries improving defensive work does indicate that this game could be low on goals while City have only managed multiple strikes in two of their last eight away Premier League trips.
