Manchester City vs Bournemouth

Etihad Stadium sets the stage for a handsomely-looking Premier League meeting between Manchester City and Bournemouth.

Manchester City’s forgettable season went from bad to worse at the weekend as a 1-0 defeat to Crystal Palace in the FA Cup consigned them to their first trophyless campaign since 2016/16. It was incidentally Pep Guardiola’s first season in charge, though the Spaniard has since won six Premier League titles, including an unprecedented four in a row, before being dethroned by Liverpool this term. Sat in sixth pre-match, Guardiola’s men are at risk of missing out on Champions League football next season. However, they only need a point to return to the top five ahead of the final round, yet they should do more, having won all seven top-flight H2Hs on home turf. Furthermore, they have a habit of finishing strong at the Etihad, having won their final home league game in ten of the last 11 seasons (D1). That’s not to mention that they’re on a four-game winning home run in the Premier League.

In the meantime, Bournemouth’s five-game unbeaten streak in the Premier League (W2, D3) came to a halt last weekend as Aston Villa beat them 1-0 at the Vitality Stadium. And with Crystal Palace lifting the FA Cup trophy, their hopes of securing European qualification for next season are nearly dead in the water. Indeed, the Cherries now need Chelsea to win the UEFA Conference League and finish sixth or seventh. Given the Blues’ position in the league standings, that’s an unlikely prospect. However, they’ll be out to hold up their end of the bargain after losing just one of their last 12 away league games (W6, D5). Yet, their all-time league H2H record against Man City (W1, D2, L18) offers a note of caution.