Manchester City will be looking to maintain their position at the top of the Premier League table when they travel to the Vitality Stadium to face Bournemouth on Saturday afternoon.
The Citizens secured a narrow 1-0 victory when the two teams met in February, but Bournemouth will be hoping to overcome their dismal record against City, having lost 18 of their previous 20 league meetings. The Cherries have drawn two and lost all 11 of their Premier League games against teams starting the day top of the table.
Bournemouth have picked up four points from their last two fixtures against Arsenal and Aston Villa, and they will be buoyed by their recent home form, winning their last two matches at the Vitality Stadium. However, they face a daunting task against an injury-hit but still formidable Manchester City side.
Pep Guardiola has claimed that City are in “trouble” with only “13 players” available amidst their mounting injury crisis. Key absentees include Kevin De Bruyne, Kyle Walker and Jack Grealish, but the Citizens remain the only top-flight team yet to lose this season, sitting top of the table.
Despite their midweek EFL Cup exit, Manchester City’s club-record 32-game unbeaten run in the Premier League remains intact. They will also be aiming to maintain their 100% record against Bournemouth, having won all 14 previous meetings by an aggregate score of 45-7.
Bournemouth boss Andoni Iraola will be without the injured Alex Scott, Kepa Arrizabalaga and Luis Sinisterra, while the fitness of Dango Ouattara remains in doubt. The Cherries will hope their home form and City’s injury woes can give them a chance of securing a historic first win over the league leaders.
While Bournemouth’s resilience could pose problems for the visitors, our prediction is that Manchester City’s quality and experience will ultimately prove too much, and they are tipped to secure a narrow victory that keeps them top of the table.
