The last time these two met, City scraped a 1-0 win with an early goal from Phil Foden. Bournemouth has had a balanced start to the season, with three wins, three draws, and three losses, scoring and conceding 11 goals. Since their 1-0 loss at Leicester in early October, the Cherries have gained four points from tough games—beating Arsenal 2-0 at home and drawing 1-1 with Aston Villa last weekend, thanks to a dramatic 96th-minute equalizer from Evanilson.
Currently 11th in the league, Bournemouth are up against their third straight top-four team from last season. They’ve yet to beat Man City, holding two draws and 18 losses in their 20 league matchups—the most one team has faced another without ever winning. Bournemouth’s record against teams leading the table isn’t any better, with 11 losses from 11 attempts, but they’ve managed to pick up seven of their 11 points at home this season, including wins in their last two home games.
City come into the match on the back of their first defeat of the season, a 2-1 EFL Cup loss to Tottenham. Despite fielding an understrength side due to injuries, Pep Guardiola praised his team’s resilience. The manager, however, faces a challenge with only 13 fit players available as City deals with an injury crisis.
In the Premier League, City’s impressive 32-game unbeaten streak remains unbroken. They lead the table by a point over Liverpool and five over Arsenal after winning seven and drawing two of their nine games.
Their head-to-head record against Bournemouth couldn’t be better, with 14 straight wins and an aggregate score of 45-7. Avoiding defeat on Saturday would also see City tie two Premier League records held by Chelsea.
INJURIES & SUSPENSION
Bournemouth’s Alex Scott is set for a lengthy recovery from a knee injury, while goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga (thigh) and Luis Sinisterra (muscle) are also confirmed out. Manager Andoni Iraola mentioned that it’s “very unlikely” Dango Ouattara (undisclosed) will play, but Philip Billing, back in training after missing the Villa draw due to illness, is expected to return to the squad.With Kepa sidelined, Mark Travers is likely to stay in goal, and Marcus Tavernier could step in for Ouattara. Up front, Evanilson will be pushing to reclaim his spot from former Man City striker Enes Unal.
On City’s side, Pep Guardiola has a number of injury concerns. Winger Savinho, stretchered off against Spurs with an ankle knock, will be out, though thankfully there’s no fracture. Manuel Akanji (groin) and Josko Gvardiol (knock) are set for fitness checks, while Kevin De Bruyne (groin), Kyle Walker (knee), Jeremy Doku (muscle), and Jack Grealish (knock) all remain out, along with long-term absentees Rodri (ACL) and Oscar Bobb (leg fracture).
Guardiola could bring back up to five starters who rested midweek, with Ederson, Gvardiol (if fit), Mateo Kovacic, Bernardo Silva, and Erling Haaland all in line for a return to the lineup.
POSSIBLE LINE-UPS
Bournemouth possible starting lineup:Kepa; Smith, Zabarnyi, Senesi, Kerkez; Cook, Christie; Semenyo, Tavernier, Kluivert; Evanilson
Manchester City possible starting lineup:
Ederson; Stones, Dias, Gvardiol; Lewis, Kovacic; Bernardo, Gundogan, Foden, Nunes; Haaland
EXPERT PREDICTION
Bournemouth 2-3 Manchester City
Bournemouth will see Saturday’s match as a prime chance to secure their first-ever win against a Man City squad hit hard by injuries. They’re riding a wave of confidence after a strong win over Arsenal and a hard-fought draw with Aston Villa.
But it's tough to count City out entirely—they’ve got an outstanding record against the Cherries. Even with some key players missing, Guardiola still has plenty of talent in his lineup, and they might just have enough to edge this one.
