Manchester City will host Bournemouth at the Etihad on Tuesday night, looking to get back to winning ways after the defeat in the FA Cup final to Crystal Palace.
Manchester City were held to a draw by Southampton in their last league game, and they were beaten in the FA Cup final by Crystal Palace ahead of the Premier League clash vs Bournemouth. They will be disappointed with the way the season has played out, and they will look to bounce back strongly.
It will be interesting to see if they can win the remaining games of the season and secure UEFA Champions League qualification for the 2025/26 season. Manchester City have a formidable record against Bournemouth, and they will be the favourites on paper.
However, the Cherries have been difficult to beat in recent weeks, and it remains to be seen whether they can pull off an upset. Bournemouth are without a victory in four of the last six league matches, but they have lost just once in that time. They will look to grind out a positive result here.
Team News & Tactics
Manchester City
Pep Guardiola will be without Rodri due to a knee injury. John Stones and Nathan Ake have an ankle issue. Manchester City will shape up in a 4-2-3-1 formation vs Bournemouth, with Ederson in goal.
Rico Lewis and Nico O’Reilly will start as the full-backs, and they will look to contribute at both ends of the pitch. Ruben Dias will pair up alongside Josko Gvardiol at the heart of the defence.
llkay Gundogan will add control and defensive cover to the side, and Nico Gonzalez will add creativity alongside him. Kevin De Bruyne will start as the attacking midfielder, and he will look to create goalscoring opportunities for his teammates.
Jeremy Doku and Phil Foden will start in the wide areas, and they will add pace and flair to the side. Finally, Omar Marmoush is set to lead the line for Manchester City vs Bournemouth on Tuesday.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Ederson; Lewis, Dias, Gvardiol, O’Reilly; Gundogan, Gonzalez; Foden, De Bruyne, Doku; Marmoush
Bournemouth
The Cherries will be without Alex Scott, Ryan Christie and Luis Sinisterra due to knocks. Meanwhile, Enes Unal is out with a knee injury, and Dango Ouattara has a groin problem.
Bournemouth will shape up in a 4-2-3-1 formation vs Manchester City, with Kepa Arrizabalaga in goal. Julian Araujo and Milos Kerkez will start as the full-backs. They will look to keep things tight at the back and hit Manchester City on the break. Illia Zabarnyi will start alongside Dean Huijsen at the heart of the defence.
As for the midfield unit, Lewis Cook will start alongside Tyler Adams in the double pivot, and they will look to add control and defensive cover to the side. David Brooks will start as the attacking midfielder, and he will look to create goal-scoring opportunities for his teammates.
Justin Kluivert and Antoine Semenyo will start in the wide areas, and they will look to add pace and flair to the side. Finally, Evanilson will spearhead the Bournemouth attack vs Manchester City on Tuesday.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Kepa; Araujo, Zabarrnyi, Huijsen, Kerkez; Adams, Cook; Semenyo, Brooks, Kluivert; Evanilson
Key Stats
- Manchester City have won 16 of their last 17 matches against Bournemouth in all competitions.
- Manchester City have scored at least two goals in their last eight home matches against Bournemouth in all competitions.
- 23 goals have been scored in the last six matches between these two teams.
- Manchester City are unbeatable in the last six matches, with four wins in that period.
- Evanilson has scored six goals in his last nine Premier League away starts, including five in his last five.
Player to Watch
Omar Marmoush
The Egyptian striker is our key player to watch out for. Erling Haaland has not been able to score in recent weeks, and Marmoush will be under pressure to deliver here. He will need to step up and produce a strong performance for his team.
It remains to be seen whether he can find the back of the net and help create opportunities for his teammates. Marmoush has had an impressive season, and he will need to produce a defining performance in the final third for his team in the remaining matches of the season.
Prediction
Manchester City 2-1 Bournemouth
Manchester City are the better team on paper, and they should be able to grind out all three points here. The Citizens have a formidable record against Bournemouth, and they will be difficult to beat at home. They will be full of motivation and hunger after the disappointing performances in the last two matches.
With UEFA Champions League qualification at stake, they will look to put their best foot forward. Bournemouth are likely to put up a fight here, but Manchester City have the quality to grind out a narrow victory. The Hard Tackle predicts a 2-1 win for Pep Guardiola and his charges.
