Premier League: City are About to Go Cherry Picking!

Manchester City vs Bournemouth

Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City welcome Premier League’s second-placed team on Sunday when Andoni Iraola brings high-flying Bournemouth to the Etihad Stadium for a mouth-watering clash.  

The hosts sit just two points behind their visitors and can leapfrog them with a victory, as Guardiola aims to put the club’s sorry 2024/25 campaign behind him and take back the title they lost so meekly. 

The Sky Blues navigated a tricky EFL Cup trip away to Swansea on Wednesday but a 1-0 loss to Aston Villa last Saturday ended a nine-match unbeaten run, and dropped the Sky Blues down to fifth in the Premier League table. Meanwhile, Bournemouth beat Nottingham Forest 2-0 last weekend and have a week to prepare for this next, rather bigger, test.    

League leaders Arsenal head to Burnley on Saturday in a game the Gunners are expected to win, and the latest Premier League 2025 betting odds rate Mikel Arteta’s side as odds-on favourites with the Sky Blues the biggest challengers. 

Pep Guardiola’s side need to show their intent against the side in second place and hope that the Clarets can do them a favour against Arsenal.  

 

Talking Points

Haaland doubt for City

He’s been in frightening form this season until Erling Haaland’s long scoring run came to an end in City’s narrow defeat away to in-form Aston Villa. The Norwegian goal machine thought he’d levelled the scores late on, but was denied by the offside flag. And to make matters worse Haaland clattered into the upright, giving him a knock which ruled him out of the EFL Cup tie on Wednesday.  

Now you can never be 100 per cent sure when a top club says a player is doubtful, but that’s the word at the moment and we’ll have to take it. Guardiola says he remains hopeful that Haaland will be fit for the weekend so the Cherries remain in the dark on this one. 

Omar Marmoush and Rayan Cherki were on the mark on Wednesday and they will likely start again if Haaland doesn’t make the cut. But I expect to see Phil Foden, Savinho and Tijjani Reijdners all restored to the team as Guardiola goes all out for the win. 

 

Cherries have found the near-perfect mix 

Despite losing some big-name players in the summer Bournemouth’s Premier League 2025 results have been little short of sensational. Right at the start of the transfer window centre back Dean Huijsen went to Real Madrid and wing back Milos Kerkez headed to Liverpool, and the Cherries lost keeper Kepa Arrizabalaga who was at the club on loan last season. 

They were expected to struggle and last season’s ninth-placed finish seemed a tall order but, after nine games the Cherries are aiming higher. Unbeaten since a narrow opening day loss to Liverpool, Bournemouth won five and drew three of the next eight to give them their best-ever Premier League haul at this stage of the season. And the consistency of Iraola’s selection and pressing 4-2-3-1 formation has been the key to the Cherries success. The manager has a full squad to choose from and so will have a strong bench.  

The midfield duo of Alex Scott and Tyler Adams will have their work cut out to match the Sky Blues but, if they find any space then they will look for the runs of Antoine Semenyo and Marcus Tavernier.         

 

History 

The last meeting between these two teams was a spicy affair as City won 3-1 at the Etihad in May, both teams finishing the game with ten men; and the Sky Blues also came out on top in the 2024/25 FA Cup quarter-final, winning by the odd goal in three. Bournemouth did win their home game against Guardiola’s men last season but before that City won 15 consecutive games against the Cherries. 

So with 17 wins and one defeat in 18 against Bournemouth, it’s fair to say this is a game Manchester City fans will look forward to.  

Both clubs are in strong form, the Sky Blues have won four, drawn one and lost one of their last six games in all competitions, while Bournemouth have won three and drawn three.     

 

Betting Tip

Manchester City are the hot favourites to win this clash at a price of 1.44 while the draw is at 4.50 and Bournemouth further out at a SBOTOP price of 6.00. The Cherries are in superb form, but the Sky Blues have been impressive this season until their blip at Villa; and I think they will put that behind them on Sunday.

   

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