Manchester City welcome Bournemouth to the Etihad tonight as they took to see out their Premier League campaign in style.
With the threat of a Champions League bans no longer hanging over them, Pep Guardiola can start to plan for next season – although there are still two trophies up for grabs this term.
Bournemouth gave their Premier League survival hopes a huge boost with victory over Leicester on Sunday.
But they take on a City side who have scored 10 without reply in their two games since that shock defeat to Southampton.
TEAM NEWS
Manchester City’s Ilkay Gundogan and Joao Cancelo could return after missing the Brighton win with minor injuries.
Sergio Aguero remains the only absentee as he continues his rehabilitation after knee surgery.
Bournemouth defender Nathan Ake could miss the rest of the season because of the groin injury he sustained during the win over Leicester.
Joshua King’s hamstring problem will be assessed but Adam Smith misses out with a head injury.
This leaves the Cherries stretched in defense, with Chris Mepham and Simon Francis still sidelined by knee injuries – although Steve Cook did come off the bench against Leicester after recovering from a hamstring problem.
MATCH FACTS
Head-to-head
Manchester City has won all nine of their Premier League games against Bournemouth by an aggregate score of 28-4. It’s the best 100% record one opponent has against another in English top-flight history.
Bournemouth has never beaten City in any division (D2, L13).
The city has scored 16 goals and conceded just two in the last four meetings between the sides at the Etihad Stadium.
Manchester City
Manchester City has earned successive 5-0 victories. They last scored five or more goals in three consecutive matches in September 2017.
The city has won their past five home league games, scoring 19 goals without conceding. They haven’t won six in a row at home in the top flight without letting in a goal since March 1902.
Raheem Sterling has scored in all but one of his eight Premier League appearances against Bournemouth – his total of nine league goals against the Cherries is more than he has managed against any other side.
Sterling has scored 27 goals in all competitions this season, more than any other Premier League player.
Kevin De Bruyne has been directly involved in an unrivaled 29 Premier League goals this season, with 11 goals and 18 assists.
- Manchester City To Play In Champions League Next Season
- Manchester City’s UCL fate to be decided, possible CL El-Classico more sports highlights
- Bournemouth vs Tottenham: Team news, match facts and prediction
- Manchester City vs Newcastle: Team news, match facts and prediction
Bournemouth
Bournemouth has lost eight away league games in a row, and have won just one of the past 14 (D1, L12).
They have gone two games unbeaten in the league. If they avoid defeat against Manchester City, it would equal their best spell of the season.
Going into this round of fixtures, Bournemouth had scored 18 goals from set-pieces in this season’s Premier League – second only to Manchester City.
The Cherries have lost their last two league games played on a Wednesday.
Callum Wilson is Bournemouth’s leading Premier League scorer this season with eight goals, but five of those came before the end of September.
PREDICTION: 3-1
