Manchester City vs AFC Bournemouth Preview

Fresh from their heartbreaking loss to Crystal Palace in the FA Cup final, Manchester City will look to bounce back when they face Bournemouth in their penultimate league game of the season.

The loss means that Pep Guardiola’s side will go the season trophyless for the first time since the Spanish coach’s first season at the club. This is incomprehensible, given their recent dominance in the Premier League, and it doesn’t end there, as City could even miss out on the Champions League next season as they come into this clash with Bournemouth sitting in sixth.

However, only a point will take them back into the top five heading into the final day. Having won all seven Premier League home H2Hs, they look good value to secure more than the bare minimum. Also, City have a knack for signing off at the Etihad on a high too as they’ve triumphed in their final home league game in ten of their last 11 campaigns (D1), and four successive home league wins this season hint at that record extending here.

Meanwhile, Bournemouth’s chances of securing European football were dealt a hammer blow at the weekend, with Crystal Palace’s FA Cup win complicating their route to Europe. The Cherries are locked in a race with Brighton and Brentford for eighth spot.

However, for eighth to be worthy of a spot in Europe, Chelsea will have to win the Conference League final and finish either sixth or seventh in the Premier League, which currently seems unlikely given their top-four standing.

All Bournemouth can now do is take care of their own business and hope for the best. Having lost just one of their last 12 away league games (W6, D5), they certainly can’t be discounted here. But with their 2-1 win in the reverse fixture serving as their only-ever win in a league H2H against City (D2, L18), defeat in their final away league game of a campaign for a third successive season seems a distinct possibility.

Other fixtures taking place this week in the Premier League Fixtures:

Premier League Table