It was a comfortable evening at the Etihad Stadium as Manchester City got back to winning ways, easing past Bournemouth 3–1 to extend their strong home record. City fans were in celebratory mood after a dominant performance that saw Erling Haaland bag a brace, while Bournemouth supporters were left fuming at their team’s defensive errors and questionable tactics.
After the match, Pep Guardiola hailed Haaland’s ruthlessness, likening the Norwegian’s current scoring form to the Ronaldo and Messi of this world.
Manchester City Fans Delighted with Response and Ruthless Display
For many City fans, this was exactly the kind of response needed after last week’s defeat to Aston Villa.
@sportsfreaksammer summed up the mood:
Great win and a strong team display. Erling, Rayan, Jeremy, Nico Gonzalez, and Nico O’Reilly were all brilliant going forward, while Phil Foden was class. Ruben, Josko, and Matheus solid at the back, and Gianluigi did well apart from that one mistake but overall a solid performance. Let’s keep improving and carry the momentum. Come on City.
With his amazing performance today it’s only right that Erling haaland was named the man of the match, Manchester City via its X handle shared the official confirmation of the Norwegian striker wining the award. They posted:
@stephenwalker praised Pep’s preparation and lineup:
Pep was spot on with his lineup … and the players were ready for this. Good win! Want to see more of these against Dortmund and Liverpool.
Others were simply thrilled to see the team bounce back. @sportscity wrote:
Big win for Manchester City, back to winning ways after last week’s loss to Aston Villa. Erling Haaland Rayan Cherki Nico O’Reilly Phil Foden .
Even poetry flowed from the stands, as @footyrhymes dropped a lyrical recap:
Haaland at the double — ruthless and bold,
Twenty-six goals, his story told.
Cherki’s two assists lit up the play,
Adams struck too from Donnarumma’s stray.
After Villa’s loss, they’ve found their way,
City back roaring — ready to slay!
Manchester city posted on its official X handle, the key performance today and their impact on the game with both players Erling Haaland and Ryan Cherki getting Two goals and 2 assists. They posted:
Praise for Nico Gonzalez and Team Balance
Among the standout mentions, fans were full of appreciation for Nico Gonzalez’s contribution. @allanjavour pointed out how vital the midfielder’s performance was to City’s overall balance:
Please please don’t let this Nico Gonzalez performance go unnoticed. He is helping us much better which gives Rodri time to heal so well without pressure to get back. He provides cover and the balance between midfield and defense.
@eluobikeclement echoed that while City looked strong, consistency remains key:
I said it here last weekend… we’ve got a great team this season once everyone is fit but can someone tell Pep to stop the twist in lineups. Great job guys On to the next .
Still, not everyone was entirely satisfied. @olaoluwamayoba urged improvement despite the win:
To be sincere, City has a lot of improvement to do. Forget the win, these guys are not goal driven at all. P.S.: Savinho is not even trying to improve. His gameplay is weak.
After the game, Manchester city via its official X handle posted the players reaction to getting maximum points as they were heading to the dressing room. They posted:
Bournemouth Fans Slam Tactics and Defensive Errors
While City fans celebrated, Bournemouth supporters were left exasperated. Many felt the result was a direct consequence of poor tactical choices.
@ashleywilliams wrote:
Defence well off today. Could have created more in attack equally but we gave them huge amounts of space and time on the ball and looked too lazy in the counter-press. City are a tough team (albeit not a lot without Haaland), park the L, go again.
Even after their unbeaten streak ended, Bournemouth via its X handle still posted the players and manager appreciate the fans for their incredible support over the course of this run. They posted:
@tobehonest didn’t hold back, saying:
You made it easy for Man City by playing high-press. You need to surrender your entire management for a two-week training under Arteta — the topic: ‘How to manage games against high-pressing clubs.’ You have a lot to learn.
@trodjan echoed the same frustration:
Is Iraola stupid? Why would you ever play a high line vs City? It’s literally the one game plan that suits them best because their only consistent threat thrives vs high lines. Genuinely suicidal — why not just utilize what Villa did last week instead?
Andoni Iraola had a lot to say in his post match presser, an exclusive video was shared via the team’s official X handle, with the manager talking about his reflections and key areas to improve on. Watch video below:
For @danielg, the issues were systemic:
Not a great display, all of our weaknesses highlighted clear as day. This is not a one-off — all these defensive and finishing problems have been in every match this season, maybe bar Fulham.
@zack added:
Defensively absolutely abysmal. The two centre-backs frustrate me so much because they can play so much better than that. Played nothing like we could have today.
Manchester City will now shift their focus to the Champions League clash against Borussia Dortmund before a high-stakes Premier League showdown with Liverpool.
For Bournemouth, the task will be to tighten their defensive organization and rediscover the form that brought them early-season joy. At the Etihad, however, it was another night that belonged to Haaland and to Pep Guardiola’s men, who once again reminded everyone why they remain one of Europe’s most dominant sides.
