Saturday’s Premier League conflict between Bournemouth and Manchester City, together with predictions, group information and attainable lineups.
Manchester City will likely be seeking to keep their place on the prime of the Premier League desk after they journey to the Vitality Stadium to face Bournemouth on Saturday afternoon.
The 2 groups meet for the primary time since February when the Residents secured a slender 1-0 away victory courtesy of a first-half strike from Phil Foden.
Match preview
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Bournemouth are one in every of three Premier League groups, together with Fulham and Newcastle United, who’ve received three, drawn three and misplaced three of their opening 9 matches this season, whereas they’ve additionally scored and conceded 11 objectives every.
Since shedding 1-0 at Leicester City initially of October, the Cherries have picked up 4 factors throughout their final two fixtures towards Arsenal and Aston Villa, with a hard-fought 2-0 victory at dwelling to the previous adopted by a last-gasp 1-1 draw with the latter final weekend.
Membership-record signing Evanilson netted a dramatic 96th-minute equaliser to assist Andoni Iraola‘s facet snatch some extent at Villa Park they usually now sit eleventh within the Premier League desk, 4 factors behind the highest seven and eight factors away from the relegation zone.
A 3rd consecutive sport towards a group from final season’s prime 4 is up subsequent for Bournemouth, who will endeavour to beat Man City for the primary time of their historical past this weekend. Certainly, the Cherries have drawn two and misplaced 18 of their earlier 20 league conferences, essentially the most one facet has confronted one other with out ever successful in English Soccer League historical past.
Bournemouth have additionally misplaced all 11 of their Premier League video games towards groups beginning the day prime of the desk, the worst 100% loss charge towards an opponent within the division’s historical past, however they’ve collected seven of their 11 top-flight factors on dwelling soil this time period, successful their final two matches within the course of, which ought to present them with some confidence heading into Saturday’s contest.
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After beginning the season with a 14-game unbeaten run throughout all competitions (W11 D3), Man City have been condemned to their first lack of the marketing campaign on Wednesday night time after they suffered a 2-1 defeat at Tottenham Hotspur within the final 16 of the EFL Cup.
An understrength, injury-hit Residents facet put up an admirable combat in North London and Matheus Nunes‘s strike in first-half stoppage time gave them hope of a comeback. Nonetheless, a second-half equaliser finally eluded the eight-time EFL Cup winners, who’ve crashed out earlier than the quarter-final stage for the third time in 4 seasons.
Pep Guardiola hailed his facet’s “distinctive” efficiency contemplating the “issues” that he’s coping with. Certainly, the Catalan coach has claimed that Man City are in “hassle” as he solely has “13 gamers” at his disposal amidst the membership’s mounting harm disaster.
Man City could have misplaced in midweek, however their club-record 32-game unbeaten run within the Premier League stays intact, and they’re the one top-flight group who’re but to lose this time period, sitting prime of the desk and one level away from Liverpool in second after successful seven and drawing two of their first 9 video games – most lately beating Southampton 1-0 on the Etihad Stadium final weekend.
The Residents, who’re additionally 5 factors away from Arsenal in third, will fancy their possibilities of success on Saturday as they’ve received all 14 Premier League conferences with Bournemouth by an mixture rating of 45-7 – the perfect 100% file any group has towards one other in English top-flight historical past. In the meantime, Metropolis can equal two of Chelsea’s top-flight information in the event that they keep away from defeat towards the Cherries.
Bournemouth Premier League type:
Manchester City Premier League type:
Manchester City type (all competitions):
Staff Information
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Bournemouth’s Alex Scott is going through a prolonged spell on the sidelines with a knee harm, whereas goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga (thigh) and Luis Sinisterra (muscle) have additionally been dominated out.
Iraola has additionally revealed that it’s “most unlikely” to Dango Ouattara (unspecified) obtainable this weekend, however Philip Billing has taken half in coaching and is able to return to the matchday squad after lacking the draw at Villa by means of sickness.
Mark Travers is about to stay in objective within the absence of Kepa and Marcus Tavernier may very well be recalled to take the place of Ouattara, whereas Evanilson will likely be hoping to pressure his method again into the primary XI forward of ex-Man Metropolis striker Enes Unal.
As for Man City, Guardiola has revealed that he has ‘many harm doubts’, together with winger Savinho who was stretchered off towards Spurs with a “robust knock” to his ankle and “no fracture”.
Manuel Akanji (groin) and Josko Gvardiol (knock) will even be assessed, whereas Kevin De Bruyne (groin), Kyle Walker (knee), Jeremy Doku (muscle) and Jack Grealish (knock) are all set to stay sidelined together with long-term absentees Rodri (ACL), Oscar Bobb (leg fracture).
Guardiola might recall as many as 5 gamers who didn’t begin in midweek, with Ederson, Josko Gvardiol – if match – Mateo Kovacic, Bernardo Silva and Erling Haaland all in rivalry to characteristic within the first XI.
Bournemouth attainable beginning lineup:
Kepa; Smith, Zabarnyi, Senesi, Kerkez; Prepare dinner, Christie; Semenyo, Tavernier, Kluivert; Evanilson
Manchester City attainable beginning lineup:
Ederson; Stones, Dias, Gvardiol; Lewis, Kovacic; Bernardo, Gundogan, Foden, Nunes; Haaland
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